Darcie's Destiny
by LadyMalfoyx
Summary: A princess locked in her rooms her entire life is suddenly thrown into the world of dragons and magic. What happens when she meets a man she's known of her entire life yet never seen by her until he returns from battle? MurtaghOC . BETTER SUMMARY INSIDE
1. Kazryth

**_Summary: The third dragon egg has hatched to Darcie, the daughter of Galbatorix who was locked in her rooms and hall for 18 years. Shortly after the dragon hatches, she gets put under her father's control and must work with Murtagh, a man she has known of (by appearance) her entire life yet never met until he returns from the Burning Plains battle. What happens when she meets him? What will happen when they're told to work together?_**

**_When Darcie finds out she's under her father's control (by Murtagh), what will the two dragon riders do? Will they battle the king; destroy everything they have ever known? Will they wait for someone else to do so for them? Or will they give in and not do anything whatsoever?_**

**_Bear with me as I get used to writing Eragon fan fictions - this is my first, so don't to be too harsh, lol._**

**_I'd like to thank my friend who named Kazryth. He's not red by he's your second choice! _**

At the dawn of the morning, while the capital city of Alagaésia slowly awakened, a young girl of 18 named Darcie looked out her bedroom window, overlooking the serenity of the area outside longingly. She sat on the stone windowsill in her nightgown, daydreaming of what it would be like to step outside of the doors of her room. The farthest out of the castle of the king she had been was the hall outside of her room. She did not understand why she was a prisoner of her own home, but she knew not to question it. She had seen her father, King Galbatorix, few times over the past 18 years, but she knew clearly not to question him while in his presence.

Her thoughts were broken by the sound of a door creaking open. Looking over her shoulder, Darcie saw the one face she saw every day for as long as she could remember; her nanny, Desiree. The nanny was holding long fabrics and a pair of heels in her hands.

"The king requests your presence," Desiree said.

"Don't you mean he requests to enter?"

"He wants you to go to him," Desiree responded.

"So I'm actually getting out of here?"

"Yes, dear girl. Once you are proper you are to join his majesty for breakfast."

Darcie slid off of the windowsill.

"Am I to dress according to a special occasion?"

"Your father has gotten you your attire," Desiree responded as she held up the fabric.

Darcie changed into the new dress. It fell a few inches below her knees and was white and gold. The fabric just barely covered her shoulders, leaving her pale arms exposed. As soon as she had gotten on the heels, Darcie took the cape that Desiree held. Desiree brushed out the knots in Darcie's hair and held it up with pins and ties, letting remaining wavy strands of her light blonde fall around her face, framing her aquamarine eyes.

Shortly after, Desiree led Darcie out of her room and down the halls. Darcie wondered what lay beyond the locked door they had stopped by. The door unlocked itself, and Darcie looked around the new halls of the castle. Going down flights of stairs, guards that stood in front of two large varnished oak double doors opened them before Darcie. She was left to find her way once Desiree disappeared.

Servants skittered into the dining room and laid out food while one pulled out a chair for Darcie.

"Thank you," she said quietly as she sat down and moved the chair closer to the table. As soon as the food was laid, the servants left the room. The doors creaked closed, leaving Darcie at one end of the table, directly across from her father, Galbatorix, at the head of the table. As the meal progress, silence filled the room. Once breakfast had finished, the servants quickly gathered the things and left. Darcie waited for a few minutes, unsure if she should start asking questions that had boggled her mind since she was told to come down.

"You requested my presence, father?" Darcie finally asked.

"It has come time to see if the final dragon egg shall hatch for you," Galbatorix responded curtly.

"Dragon egg...?"

Galbatorix sighed sharply and rose from he seat. "Follow me," he commanded. Darcie stood up and followed her father out the dining room and through a series of hallways. At last, they reached a single, plain door guarded by two people. They stepped back automatically, allowing the two to enter. Darcie's eyes widened when she saw what sat in the centre of a room - a large, oval egg. It was a pure green with veins running through around it. She walked up to it curiously and was about to pick it up. As soon as she touched it, there was a loud, echoing crack. Darcie jumped back in surprise.

"Is that supposed to happen?"

"It's hatching," her father responded, sounding happier (for him) than Darcie had ever heard.

The egg continued cracking until the pieces flew in every direction. Now sitting in place of the egg was a slimy, emerald green creature Darcie took to be the dragon. Her mind seemed to expand and a word came into her head.

_Kazryth._


	2. Meeting Murtagh

"Your majesty...?" a voice asked warily, breaking the moment of silence between Galbatorix, Darcie, and the dragon she figured was named Kazryth. Darcie was too focused on the baby dragon to turn around. She watched it clean off, and then try to stand up. It made squeaking noises when it fell.

"What?" Galbatorix snapped.

"It's..."

"Make it quick."

"Murtagh. He has returned from the Burning Plains."

"It's about time."

Darcie reached out for the little creature. It stuck its nose out and touched her palm. As soon as the dragon touched her skin, a sudden, searing pain struck her body. She cried out in pain and pulled back her hand. Looking at it, a shimmering, diffused white oval appeared. The area itched and burned like a spider bite. Her heart pounded frantically - what happened?

Within a moment, the feeling of something brushing against her mind happened again, but this time it solidified into a tendril of thought through which she could feel a growing curiosity. It was as though invisible walls that surrounded her thoughts had fallen away, and she was now free to reach out with her mind. When she did, she pulled back automatically, feeling as though her conscious was drifting away and she was floating out of her body. The sensation in her right hand had gone from painful burning to a faint tingling.

"Your Dragon Rider waits in the main hall, your majesty," the guard then said.

"Dragon rider...?" Darcie muttered curiously.

"Leave the dragon here for himself and come along, Darcie," Galbatorix said.

"But..."

"Leave the dragon and come along," Galbatorix snarled from behind Darcie.

Darcie stroked the dragon goodbye and trudged along behind Galbatorix. After going through the winding halls once more, she was led to the main entrance of the castle. Her eyes were on the large, red dragon in the middle of the room. The armour covering its body was bent and some parts broken off, showing enough evidence that it had been in battle and hadn't been tended to just yet.

"Your majesty," a deep voice said. Darcie the noticed a man. She recognized him from times she had looked out windows and once peered down a different hallway. He had dark brown, almost black hair, some locks of it framing his face and fierce, dark eyes. She could tell he had been through a lot recently with how scratched up his armour was.

"Where's your pathetic excuse for a brother?" Galbatorix asked in a growl.

"He... he got away," the dark-haired man responded as he got up to his full height, a few inches above Darcie's height and almost exactly Galbatorix's height. The man looked down at the floor.

"You let him get away?" Galbatorix snarled. He then grabbed the man's head and forced him to look back. "Look at me when I'm talking to you!"

The man looked directly at Galbatorix, betraying hint of wariness behind his mask of fierceness.

The dragon roared mightily, echoing throughout the room, which caused it to be ten times louder. Darcie tensed at the noise.

"Why did you let him get away?" Galbatorix asked in a sickeningly-sweet tone.

"Saphira was to fast for Thorn."

The red dragon, Thorn, made a noise that sounded like a scoff.

_Saphira...? _Darcie thought curiously. She heard the name many times before, but she couldn't remember where.

The man's eyes flickered to Darcie for a moment.

Galbatorix then pushed the man away, causing him to stumble backwards until he regained his composure.

"Put away your dragon as you normally do."

Thorn growled. Galbatorix matched the angry glare the dragon had at him and then walked away, not even bothering to introduce the three.

"Who're you?" the man finally asked as he started taking out bit of armour lodged in Thorn.

"Darcie," she responded, blushing slightly.

"Live here?"

"Locked in here more so."

"How long?"

"Last 18 years."

The man turned around and looked at Darcie.

"I've lived here before yet I've never seen you."

"Like I had said, _locked up_. In the far end of this place. It's my first time out of there today actually. Anyways, who're you?"

"Murtagh," he responded as he went back to taking out parts of Thorn's armour.

"And your dragon is Thorn?"

The dragon grunted in response.

"Yeah. What your dragon's name?"

Darcie was taken aback - how'd he know?

"I had a feeling," Murtagh answered her mental question. "_What _is its name?" he asked again, sounding more impatient.

"Kazryth," Darcie responded quietly.

Murtagh then started taking off the entire armour. Darcie was surprised he could take off the armour by himself; it looked rather heavy. After a few minutes of silence, Darcie finally left, figuring Murtagh didn't care much for talking to anyone but Thorn at the moment. She went up to one of the guards and asked, "Which way is it to the room with the dragon?"

He led her through the complicated, twisting halls that eventually led to the door. She was let in automatically.

Kazryth looked up from his sleep and made a gurgling noise. Darcie smiled and walked up to the dragon. Picking him up, she took him out of the room, down the halls and up to her room. He struggled to be freed the entire way, but Darcie kept a firm enough grip that it was somewhat comfortable yet he couldn't escape. Once she reached her room, she put the little dragon onto the floor. He made a grumbling noise and stretched out before wandering around the room curiously.


	3. The King's Celebration

There was no hint of light when Darcie woke up again. She had tossed and turned in her sleep only to wake up twice every hour, each time looking below her to see if the little green dragon was curled up next to her. It slept peacefully beside her, occasionally flicking its small tail and hitting Darcie's stomach with slight force.

Sighing, Darcie forced herself to fall asleep again. Once she did, she woke up to the faint light of sunrise and the squeaking of the dragon Kazryth. She rolled out of bed and stretched. She found a new dress laid out for her by her vanity. As soon as she saw it, her nanny Desiree came in.

"Ah, you have seen your new clothes?"

"Yes."

"You will definitely require assistance for it."

"Whatever for?"

Desiree walked further into the room and picked up what Darcie assumed was a lacy bodice.

"A corset. A daily pain to women, but it has been requested you start using one until further notice," Desiree told her.

"Further notice... pardon?"

"Until you can ride that beastie."

Kazryth gave a (small) roar of complain at being called a 'beastie'. Darcie chuckled.

"Fine."

At least an hour later, Darcie was finally ready to leave her room.

"Are you supposed to learn not to breathe in these... things?" she demanded with panting breaths. No matter what she did, Darcie couldn't catch her breath.

"You will become accustomed to it nonetheless," Desiree told her.

"But..."

"No buts about it miss. It was an order that you are to wear this in the public everyday."

"Guards and two others aren't 'public'!"

"The king has invited guests in celebration of your beastie's hatching."

Kazryth attempted to roar again, but it came out as a burping noise. Darcie smiled; the green dragon was adorable as a baby. She could only wonder what would happen as he grew to the size of Thorn or even the dragon unknown to her named Saphira.

"Now come along, dear, and bring your beastie. He must return the room of which he had hatched from."

Kazryth jumped from the windowsill and onto Darcie's shoulder, flapping his wings as he sailed through the clean air. Darcie tensed in surprise; the dragon was rather heavy for its size. Darcie looked at her right hand and clearly saw the diffused oval, the sign of the dragon rider. She hadn't a clue what it was called, though.

"Now we must go and return this... thing."

Kazryth growled in a menacing (for a baby) way. Darcie followed her nanny down the halls that she had grown accustomed to for the past 18 years and then down the never-ending staircase. Upon reaching the bottom, Darcie was then told to follow a guard that waited at the bottom. He led her to the room in which Kazryth had hatched. Darcie walked deeper into the room and removed the emerald dragon from her shoulder and onto the rock his egg had sat on only a day before.

"I'll see you later today," she told the dragon in a whisper. Kazryth gurgled in response and looked at her with big, dark green eyes questioningly.

"Milady..."

Darcie rolled her eyes and then left Kazryth in the room. She heard him wail after her as the door shut behind her. She felt her heart drop as she was forced to abandon him. She was led back through the winding halls and into the dining room. She found it empty, much to her surprise. She quickly ate and then decided to explore her 'home' more. The doors opened in front of her, and she walked out. She heard feet behind her, so she stopped and turned around. She saw three guards following her.

"Yes?" she practically snapped. The guards didn't respond. "What are you doing?" she rephrased.

"You're not to be anywhere unless under supervision," one of the guards responded.

"I'm not a child!"

"It's the king's orders, milady," the second guard said.

"Why?"

The guards were silent. Darcie huffed (with trouble because of the corset) and stormed off. She heard the guards following her at distance. A door opened in front of her and the ball room was packed with hundreds of people Darcie had never even met before. She automatically knew it was the perfect place to evade the guards. She planned on pushing her way through the crowd, but everyone stopped talking and looked at her.

Blushing, she made her way through the room, people moving out of the way so she could get through (much to her anger). She picked up her walking pace and left the ball room, leaving the guards in her wake at a much farther distance. As soon as the doors shut behind her, she leaned against the wall and took off her (new) heels. With them both in one hand, Darcie ran. She heard the door open farther behind her, but she kept running. The doors kept opening for her until she was out in the green fields and woods that surrounded the castle. Looking around frantically, she suddenly saw a barn. It appeared abandoned, so she ran for there. She saw a large sliding door, and then a smaller, more average door. She opened it and closed it behind her quickly.

_Who goes there?_

Darcie screamed; who was that?

_D-Darcie..._

_Princess rider? _the voice responded in a mocking tone.

_And who might you be?_

There was a mighty roar behind the wall that stood next to Darcie. She immediately recognized the roar - she had heard it just yesterday.

_I am Thorn. What are you doing in my home?_

_Home? It's a barn..._

_This is where I reside... as you might've noticed._

_My apologies, great dragon._

She felt the conscious of Thorn disappear momentarily. Darcie was still rooted to the spot in shock.

"What're you doing here?"

Darcie jumped and withheld another surprised scream. She turned around and saw Murtagh.

He looked her over momentarily, making it obvious to Darcie he was checking her out.

"Staying away from this 'party'."

"Why?"

"I can't go anywhere without being followed 'under orders'."

To her surprise, Murtagh chuckled.

"What?" Darcie asked in a snappish way.

"Nothing," Murtagh responded elusively. Darcie stormed past Murtagh, pushing him out of the way in the process, and walked back out into the fields.

_Darcie._

The voice came into her head momentarily, startling her. She heard the same voice yesterday.

_Darcie._

Darcie sighed and kept walking towards the woods trail.

_Darcie._

She then figured the little dragon Kazryth had finally learned her name. She climbed up the hill in between the rows of trees and brush, the thorns on the trail pricking and scratching her still-bare feet. She made it to the top and found a tall, large rock. It appeared rather smooth, the only flaws being notches that led to the top. She stuck one bare foot into one notch and pulled herself up. She felt the sharp, jagged pieces inside the notch cut at her feet, but she didn't care; as long as she was away from everything and everyone around her.

_Darcie._

Well not all things.

Darcie made it to the top and sat on the far edge. She looked over the edge of the rock and saw it was right at the end of land; it plummeted down at least twenty feet to water.

She swore she heard the faint cracking of twigs underneath feet, but she let it pass by.

"Under the jurisdiction of the king, you are to come down from there!" a number of guards said simultaneously.

Darcie ignored them. She then heard mumbling below, and the sound of twigs cracking getting more distant. She looked over the edge and saw Murtagh looking back up with crossed arms.

"What'd you do?" she asked.

"Sent them off."

"Why?" she snapped.

"Your welcome," was Murtagh's sarcastic response. He stayed where he was, smirking.

"Uh, no offense or anything, but..."

"It's either me or them," Murtagh cut into her question, knowing what it was.

Darcie sighed and went back to the far end of the rock. She let her legs hang over the edge, just barely sitting on the rock. Within moments, it cracked under her weight, sending her plunging for the water beneath. Screaming, her arms flailed as she attempted to grab something - anything - but submerged into the water. She tried to bring herself to the surface, but since the only water she had been exposed to was water in a tub, and she was sitting anyways.

She sunk deeper into the lake, her life flashed before her eyes.

_Wow, I've really had a dull life _she realized. _Not the time to be thinking about this, Darcie!_

As she mentally scolded herself, she then inhaled water. She tried to gag it out, but her corset made it impossible to do so. Her surroundings went black and she kept sinking. Just as her surroundings disappeared to nothing, she felt a strong arm grab her around the waist.


	4. Saved

Sputtering out water, Darcie was finally able to breathe. She then realized her corset had been removed, thus making her able to breathe normally, her corset and under-bodice were the only things remaining on her. Looking up, a clutter of guards was just within her sight, holding onto something. Using the towel upon her, she got up, wrapped it around her shoulders and saw they had Murtagh, whose dark hair was plastered to his head and clothes soaking from water, in a death grip as he struggled to free himself.

"What's going on?" Darcie asked.

"We came just in time to see Rider Murtagh..."

"Remove my clothing?" Darcie finished, her shivering hiding the fact her shoulders were shaking in attempts to not chuckle.

Murtagh looked away from Darcie's stare, hiding the redness coming upon his cheeks.

"I couldn't breathe, so he did the right thing. Release him," Darcie commanded, shivering as the cold air started to blast in her soaking body.

"But milady..."

"If he hadn't... done he had done, I would've died. Release him," Darcie then snarled.

The guards finally let Murtagh go. He yanked himself out of their grip completely and glared at them.

"And go," Darcie told the guards. They withheld their objections and left Darcie and Murtagh by the lake shivering. As Darcie warmed up, she saw Murtagh shivering even worse, so she handed him the towel she was given.

"It's... you need it more that I do," Murtagh responded.

"I'm f-fine now," Darcie stuttered.

She pushed the towel into his arms, forcing him to take it. Sighing slightly, he took it and turned around, respectfully letting Darcie change back into her dress. She quickly slid back into the still-soaked dress that lay on the ground. She did understand why the guards thought Murtagh was going to rape her.

She turned around and stepped forwards. She tripped on the bottom of her dress and fell forwards. Murtagh caught her just before she landed on the ground in a face-plant. It felt as though her stomach had disappeared for the moment he had helped her back up.

"Thanks," she said quietly.

_Darcie._

Darcie inwardly sighed; she wasn't in the mood to hear her dragon say her name repetitively. Her cheeks then flushed and she walked away, the feeling of the twigs and thorns scratching her feet. The branches cracked under her weight and poked at her feet, causing them to bleed slightly. She didn't truly notice though; Darcie focused on thinking about being warm, and despite the sound of twigs cracking under her feet and behind her, she focused herself.


	5. Kazryth's Knowledge

_**Ok, I know this chapter isn't all that great and it ended rather... suddenly (I know I could have added more but I couldn't think of anything), but it's still a chapter.  
This is one of the longest chapters so far.  
Either way, enjoy the chapter.  
LadyMalfoyx**_

Weeks passed by as awkward silences passed between Darcie and Murtagh whenever they were in the same room. By the time a month had passed, Kazryth had grown fairly big. It was decided because of his sudden growth spurt, he should be moved to another barn outside in a field nearby Thorn's.

Darcie waited down the hall the day of the guards' attempts to move Kazryth alone in the evening. A mental image came to her mind - the room Kazryth was in and the guards were advancing, looking angry. She sensed the fear and alarm of her dragon. It was then she decided to walk down the hall and into the room.

"Do you need to acquire some assistance?" Darcie asked the guards smugly - they were the ones that told her they would handle it.

"Just..."

Before the guard could finish his sentence, Kazryth ran around and through the legs of guards and jumped into Darcie's arms. Since he was rather heavy now, Darcie almost fell when he landed on her. As he nuzzled against her shoulder, his serene attitude had wiped away her smug feeling.

Looking at the guards, Darcie could tell they were trying not to scowl. Turning on her heel, Darcie then left the halls and headed outside. She sensed Kazryth's sudden panic, and tried to show him where she was taking him.

_Home?_

Finally a new word, all Darcie had been hearing was her name and 'no' for the past month.

_Yes._

She then opened the barn door. She walked into the main area of the barn. It was built for a dragon the size of two houses, so she felt like an ant inside the room. She then put down Kazryth and stepped back. Closing her eyes, images of how to open the side door she came through and the main front door came to her. She opened up her conscious and showed Kazryth the mental images. The panic that had arisen from him being put down was set aside as he was shown the exits.

Darcie turned around to leave. As she walked away, she heard the clicking of Kazryth's feet hitting the wooden floor. Turning around, she saw him looking up at her with big green eyes just below her. She walked backwards and he followed her.

"You have to stay here for now," she told him.

The young dragon seemed to understand, but he didn't truly listen. Darcie turned around and headed for the side door again, but she heard Kazryth following her.

"You have to stay _here_. I'll be back later, I promise," Darcie then said, starting to walk backwards again. She then suddenly tripped on the back of her dress and fell backwards. Just before she figured she'd hit the floor, someone caught her. The person helped her back to her feet and Kazryth squealed, almost as if he was laughing.

Flushed, Darcie turned around to face Murtagh.

"I guess I'm just bad luck when I'm near you," he said with a shrug. "Anyways, Galbatorix calls you for dinner."

Murtagh then saw Kazryth behind Darcie. Kazryth's bright green eyes narrowed back at him as he growled, baring his small, sharp teeth. Darcie looked back at Kazryth, surprised. Murtagh just chuckled and shook his head.

"Figures..." Darcie heard Murtagh mumble.

"What?" she asked sharply and looked back at him.

"He knows the things I've done," Murtagh responded darkly. "He knows my sword most of all."

Darcie noticed a sword sheath hanging off of Murtagh's side.

"What's so important about it?" she asked curiously.

_Dragon killer._

"It's a...?"

"Dragon killer," Murtagh finished quietly. He was silent for a moment. "We really have to go."

Kazryth made grumbling noises.

"I'll be back," Darcie responded to the noises simply.

She then walked around Murtagh and through the door; Kazryth stayed where he was, growling at Murtagh. Murtagh backed up until he was outside. He closed the door behind him and caught up with Darcie. She kept muttering, "Dragon killer...?" She then noticed Murtagh next to her and asked, "If your sword is a dragon killer how does your dragon stand it?"

"Thorn knows I mean no harm to the dragons with it," Murtagh responded simply.

"Then how is it a dragon killer if..."

"Za'roc is rightfully my inheritance."

"So your parents are dead then?"

It took Murtagh a moment to realize the princess knew nothing of him.

"They got killed a long time ago," he said quietly.

"Sorry..."

"It's alright."

"So was either of your parents 'dragon riders'."

"My father."

"What happened to him?"

"Another rider took my father's sword and drove it through his heart."

Darcie paled as the image came to her mind. She quickly shook it off and asked, "And you carry around the sword that killed him?"

"I hated my father until the day he died," Murtagh responded with such venom that Darcie nearly jumped out of surprise.

"Who... who was you father? Or dare I ask...?"

"Morzan."

Darcie remembered hearing stories from Desiree about the dragon rider. She then remembered one in specific. Her thoughts were broken by Murtagh's chuckle.

"Yes, you know why I hate him now, eh?"

"I'm not even sure if the stories I was told were true or not," Darcie responded defensively. "I had no clue what was going on outside my room and hallway unless Desiree told me, and yet half the time she wasn't sure if the stories were true. On top of that I had no clue what kind of person your father was, so..."

"An abusive bastard."

"Strong words, Rider."

The two stopped in front of the door that led inside.

"All that man ever gave me was this." Murtagh turned around and lifted up his shirt, revealing an old scar that traced from his left shoulder to his right hip. Darcie's eyes widened in shock - the story was true, the story of how Morzan threw his sword at his three year old son, causing the boy's back to split open. If a healer wasn't nearby, the boy would've died. Darcie never knew who 'the boy' was until now.


	6. Sticks and Swords

Darcie stirred to the noise of metal clanging. She had heard it before, but never knew what it was. She got up to look out her window, but all she saw was Kazryth in the fields, running around and trying to gain flight.

"Can a dragon grow overnight...?" Darcie muttered as she shook her head. He was up to her knee just the day before, but now he appeared to be up to her hip at least now. There was no way she would carry him around anymore.

Darcie's bedroom door creaked open as she turned away from the window. Desiree appeared to be holding men's clothes, or at least a men's top from what she could see.

"Good morning...?" Darcie eyed the clothes. Desiree chuckled, knowing what the girl was thinking.

"Good morning. And yes, these are your clothes for the morning."

"They're... they're men's clothes!"

"Technically yes but they have been made and styled to fit you."

"Why do I have to wear them?" Darcie asked suspiciously.

"Training."

"For what?"

"Combat with swords... or swordplay or whatever you wish to call it."

"Me... with a _sword_?" Darcie asked, shocked. "Stick I can see but..."

"You are to be in the training fields in half an hour," Desiree cut in simply. If Desiree wasn't someone close to Darcie, the nanny could've been punished terribly for cutting into Darcie's response.

"Where are these 'fields' though?"

"One of the guards will lead you."

"Why can't you show me?"

"I haven't a clue where this place is," Desiree said honestly. Darcie couldn't help but chuckle.

Darcie then changed quickly. Her sleeve was cut half-way between her shoulder and elbow to beat the sun already sizzling down upon Urû'baen. The neckline was just an inch or two under her neck. Thankfully she was given a skirt that just flared our from her hips enough so she could move around easily, and boots with a half-inch heel that stretched up to just under her knees.

When she looked in the mirror, she realized she couldn't have her hair flying everywhere. Desiree seemed to read her mind and start doing up her hair. With only ten minutes remaining, Darcie was ready to leave. Desiree left Darcie with the guard standing by her door. Silently, she and the guard walked through the halls and door until they were finally outside. In the middle of a grassy field was a barred in field that could fit thousands of people.

"Rider Murtagh shall be your trainer until further notice," the guard told Darcie as he opened the gate for her.

Darcie walked through and into the centre of the field alone. Looking over her shoulder, she saw the guard disappear beyond the tall grass of the surrounding fields of greenery. Turning back again, she found the field still empty. She sighed and crossed her arms, her foot tapping on the hard, sand-covered training ground. She stood impatiently for another fifteen minutes. She finally caught sight of Murtagh walking into the field with a sheathed sword in one hand and two thick sticks that appeared to be walking sticks in another.

"Had a good walk, I see," Darcie commented sarcastically as Murtagh neared. Murtagh mirrored her sarcasm in a responsive chuckle.

"These aren't walking sticks," he said. Suddenly, one of them came flying at Darcie. She caught it just as it was about to hit her.

"Nice catch," he said.

"What're the sticks for? And for that matter what's the sword for?"

"Which one of those questions would you rather have answered?" Murtagh shot back with a faint, playful smirk.

"I demand to know _both_."

"Snippy now, are we?"

Darcie glared.

"The sword is for you, it was made by the finest crafters to fit your hand and it is evened out for your height."

"Do you expect me to know anything about swords?" Darcie snapped.

"I don't, which is what the sticks are for."

Darcie's eyebrow rose in confusion. Murtagh sighed impatiently.

"Using sticks helps you get used to using swords. Both objects are similar, so you can start learning sword movements on a stick, and then when you come to the sword you'll know to work with it."

"How do you know this?" Darcie asked curiously as she tossed the stick from hand to hand. Murtagh's expression darkened slightly.

"I've heard stories and I started this way."

"Stories from whom?"

"Do you always have a question for everything?" Murtagh asked, not sounding snippy about it but more so curious.

"Have you lived in the darkness of ignorance for 18 years?" Darcie countered pointedly. "So who've you heard stories from?"

"Well first off I've heard you've had practices with sticks with guards."

"First off?" Darcie cut in. A slightly irritated look overtook Murtagh, but he continued.

"And... then there's Eragon."

"Who's... he?"

"_He_ is the third dragon rider."

"His dragon is Saphira, right?"

"Yes. When he lived in a little town near the mountain range in the west called the Spine, her egg appeared to him. Days later Saphira hatched. The Ra'zac found out about this so they killed... his uncle in attempts of looking for him. The 'town storyteller' Brom found Eragon and found out about him the new rider."

"New?"

"The new rider since the Fall of the Riders," Murtagh quickly explained.

"How do you know this?"

"I kno... _knew_ Eragon."

"How?"

"I didn't think it was possible to meet someone that had more questions than he," Murtagh muttered. "I met Eragon on his travels to the rebels called the Varden. I traveled with him to the mountain range in which the Varden live called the Beors, I was imprisoned because... because I'm my father's son really.

"Throughout the travels, Eragon told me stories about Brom and how he trained him in magic and swordsmanship."

"Magic?"

"You'll come across the secrets of magic soon enough," Murtagh responded mysteriously. "And he said how he and his cousin used sticks when roughhousing and he eventually trained with Brom with sticks and it proved effective.

"Does that answer your question?"

"I have one other question..."

Murtagh sighed. Darcie rolled her eyes.

"Just one. When my father said 'where's your pathetic excuse for a brother' and then you said 'Saphira was too fast for Thorn'... does that mean..."

"Eragon is my brother," Murtagh said with masked venom. His tone then changed quickly. "So can we _finally_ get started?"

Darcie gave him a dirty look.

"Let's see what you know then."

With a flurry of movement, the two started attacking each other. Within five seconds, Darcie was on her knees and Murtagh's stick was at her side.

"Not much apparently."

Darcie pushed his stick off of her and got up. She flipped some stray loose curls of her hair from her face.

"I've had three previous 'lessons' with these sticks compared to your... many years. Did you expect me to know a lot?"

"No."

Darcie scowled.

"But I figured you could at least last more than five seconds," Murtagh finished.

"Well you're wrong apparently," she snapped.

For another two hours they kept working at stick-learning. Murtagh noticed how fast of a learner Darcie was when she (finally) put herself into it. It was also apparent she could bruise easily.

As Darcie got up from her knees after once again being forced down by Murtagh after a twenty second fight, she clenched her jaw in attempts not to wince. Murtagh took her arm and examined the bruises.

"What're you doing?" she snapped as she tried pulling away.

Murtagh kept a hard grip on her arm to ensure she wouldn't yank it from his grasp. His other hand hovered over a large bruise extending from her elbow to where he assumed was her shoulder, and muttered a few words in the Ancient language. A light illuminated his hand and passed through Darcie. An instant coolness her arm and passed through her body. The aches of the bruises and throbs of the recent hits from the stick had gone away.

"I expect to see you here at the same time tomorrow," Murtagh said as he let go of her arm, his fingertips grazing down her arm softly as he released it.

"I expect to see you here as well," Darcie shot back with a smart-ass tone as she passed him the stick. She expected he'd roll his eyes, but Murtagh merely smirked.

"See you later." He then walked away with the sticks in each hand.

Darcie's mouth opened, but no words came out. Her stomach felt light as she watched him leave, the warm sensation of his hand upon her arm, the way his fingers slid down her arm - it was emblazoned in her mind. Shaking off the feeling, she headed in the opposite direction towards Kazryth's barn.


	7. Control

_**This has got to be one of the longest chapters I've written for this fan fiction so far...**_

_**Probably will be the longest but I'm not sure since I obviously haven't finished the fan fiction itself.**_

_**Anyways, enjoy this long chapter!**_

Weeks passed by and Darcie started feeling different. She started to forget certain aspects of herself, new aspects taking her place. She didn't much care for the world around her as much anymore, only Kazryth and Murtagh (since she spent a fair amount of time with both). Her nanny, Desiree, took notice of Darcie's snippiness and her overall attitude along with everyone else Darcie had associated with.

Darcie changed quickly after waking up and headed outside to visit Kazryth. As she turned the final corner in the castle that led to the door, she looked out a window and was very sure dragons grew overnight - Kazryth was about half of Thorn's size now and he was only 3 months old.

She slipped into the barn quietly, figuring Kazryth was too lazy to walk out the enlarged barn door. She saw him sleeping peacefully, his light snore blowing any stray hairs around. Tip-toeing up to his side, she poked him in the neck and jumped back - nothing. She then tip-toed up to Kazryth's face - which had grown a fair amount as well, and took a feather from her pocket and stuck it up his nose, which was a proven way to wake him up. As soon as she did, he snorted, and with a flurry of motion grabbed the feather with his teeth, dropped it next to his leg and stomped on it.

_Good morning!_

_Yeah, yeah..._

_Someone grumpy today?_

_Someone to happy this morning? _Kazryth snapped.

_I always figured dragons were morning... creatures._

_Well if they are you didn't get lucky. _Kazryth stood up and stretched out his neck, his nose managing to touch the ceiling in the process. Darcie smiled.

_Don't you have a... sword lesson or whatever you call it?_

_I don't really feel like showing up just yet_, Darcie told him with a shrug.

_You owe it to Rider Murtagh to show up._

Kazryth still wasn't taken by Murtagh, but he didn't hate him as he had when he was younger. He was rather quiet around the other Dragon Rider, willing to occasionally make a comment but didn't want to give him a chance.

_He should plan times that don't require waking up in pitch black!_

_He is taking his time to train you._

_Why do I need to be trained? I already have enough problems to deal with; swordsmanship and magic lessons aren't really something I won't need in the future._

Kazryth was silent.

_Right...?_

The great green dragon looked away in thought.

_To be a Rider you have to be willing to make sacrifices. Being in battle is one of those many things, but more importantly you must train for battle. There are many other things you must do, of course, but training is required._

_Then why hatch to an ungrateful girl? _Darcie asked cheekily.

_I knew you could do more, _Kazryth responded, nudging Darcie forwards slightly. _More than anyone else in this twisted world that was created by a mad-man that forced his dragon to hatch to him. I knew you had a drive to prove yourself and with that drive you could save the lives of many, including yours. Showing indecency to Rider Murtagh just because you 'already have enough problems' and because you 'don't have the time'..._

_I never said that! _Darcie cut in indignantly.

_That's what you meant, _Kazryth cut in with a snarl. _And that discourtesy you show one who is making a sacrifice for you isn't proving much. Now you get out to the training grounds and TRAIN!_

_No!_

Kazryth grabbed the back of Darcie's clothes and flung her onto his back. She tried to jump off, but he spun his neck around and roared warningly. She sat still as he walked out of the barn loudly, flew over the fence and landed with a heavy thump. He kept walking until he got to the training fields. He once again did a fly-hop over the fence and landed in front of Murtagh, who appeared surprised.

_Here's the little stubborn one _Kazryth said. Darcie refused to get off, so Kazryth grabbed the back of her clothes again and dropped her to the ground. The dragon then thudded out of sight.

"So you're the 'little stubborn one' this week?"

Darcie glared.

"I did agree with your dragon up to his twisted world by a twisted mad-man speech... he does have a point about sacrifices. Most dragons sacrifice themselves for their Rider if they must, so it's best to make sure that never happens."

Darcie's pale face appeared shocked.

"There's a little something called privacy, maybe you haven't heard of it yet."

"Oh, that hurt," Murtagh responded sarcastically, hitting his long practice stick to his chest dramatically. Darcie grabbed the stick and hit Murtagh's side with all her strength and stormed off.

Murtagh was just as shocked as Darcie - she had never hit him or anything else so hard. Grimacing momentarily, he hollered, "Hey, get back here!"

"NO! You can't make me!"

Murtagh merely rolled his eyes. A force surrounded Darcie and dragged her backwards. Screaming and fighting the entire way, she kept stopped fighting but kept screaming even after the force stopped her in front of Murtagh.

"Use your anger with this," Murtagh said as he handed her a long stick. As soon as she grabbed it, she started attacking him. Within 5 seconds, she was on the ground.

"You're forgetting proper movements."

Darcie took her stick and swung it around and hit his ankles. He tripped over the stick and landed in the ground in front of her. As he stood up, Murtagh realized he had never seen Darcie so enraged before. She could be rather snippy and sarcastic, but she wasn't as short-tempered. He pulled her up to her feet and she stood in front of him like a stump, panting for breath angrily.

"Since when have you been so quick to be angry?" he asked.

Darcie wound her stick back and was ready to hit Murtagh in the side, but he grabbed it in mid-release. She fought him for control of it.

"I'm sick of all this! Why me?!"

"Sometimes you don't have choice in life. You just have to accept it and flow with it."

Darcie once again tried to whip it out of Murtagh's hand, but as she started to position her arm to do so, he took advantage and grabbed the stick out of her hand. She tried to grab it, but a similar force guarded it from her hand.

"You shouldn't have to go through something like this without choice!"

"As Kazryth said, he chose you. Just in the same way Thorn chose me and Saphira chose Eragon."

"But...!"

"No buts!" Murtagh cut in. "Many would love to be in your..." Murtagh looked down at the boots on Darcie's feet momentarily. "Shoes right now. Living in the castle with a dragon..."

"Locked in the castle with a dragon that hatched for me without warning," Darcie cut in with a snarl.

"You never get a warning when a dragon hatches for you, or even appears to you. You and I were given a chance for one of the eggs to hatch, we had some warning - others don't."

"Like Eragon, right? I'd personally rather be in a position similar to his than now!"

"So you want to live in a small farming community, struggling to survive everyday and working your ass off just to live? Saphira's egg was stolen by the Varden. Under Galbatorix's orders, Durza found an elf bringing it back to the Varden, but she tried to transport the egg to Brom, but the closest she got to was Eragon. Oh, what a nice find! An oval-shaped, sapphire blue stone that can be used for money in trade. He didn't get money off of it, he got a partner for life, and that's much better than just a few crowns. You think having a dragon-companion gets in the way, but this way you will always have a friend to talk to, someone to go to and tried to help, almost always understanding already."

"Don't turn this back onto me, I'm not the one related to him!"

"And I'm not the one that was locked in a room for 18 years! Your ignorance and impertinence told me that before I even figured it out."

"I TOLD YOU WHEN YOU ASKED!"

"You asked me if Eragon was my brother, so shut up about it!"

Darcie's expression was almost unreadable, only the fury was noticed. Her hard, light blue eyes glared into the fierce, dark eyes of Murtagh who matched it. She suddenly seemed to give up, collapsing onto the ground on her knees in front of Murtagh, her head down. If he hadn't have heard her sobs, he wouldn't have known she was crying.

"Are you alright...?" Murtagh asked, unsure of how to handle the situation.

"Does it... does it look like... like I am? It's just... one day I'm... I'm looking out my window and... the next I have a baby lizard called a... a dragon. Now I'm just... just forced into this new... new world and because I don't... don't know anything about it..."

"You can't know everything."

"I know!" The comment would've sounded rather scary if she hadn't have been sniffling. "It's not like... you've been locked in a room and hall... for... for 18 _years_! You've... you've known about magic and dragons... and everything else! I'm just shoved into... into the middle of it!"

"I've been held prisoner to myself... and to the Varden. I know what it's like to be forced into something new and having to adjust. That's all you can do - adjust. Learn as you go."

"You try learning... two different worlds after being a world... unto yourself!"

"Everyone is a world unto themselves, Darc."

Darcie looked up.

"What?"

"Darc. You know, short for Darcie..."

She tried glaring, but a choked sob made her less intimidating.

"I... I don't even know why... I'm suddenly like this. It's like... like the person I knew as myself... is gone."

"You change as you grow older..."

"Not that way!" Darcie snapped, still looking up at him with narrowed eyes. "I mean... I know I could be occasionally... sarcastic... and an ignorant twit that's as snippy as... as... as scissors!"

"Scissors?"

"They snip things!" she screamed.

"I'm not saying they don't, but..."

"I don't even... know why I'm so... so angry all the time... I just am! And I... I take it out on you and Kazryth... and Desiree..."

"Who?"

"My... old nanny that... that works me like a mother would. She's... she's been asking me about... about my mood changes and... and all I'd do is yell..."

"Have you ever said something in the Ancient Language?" Murtagh suddenly asked.

"What?"

"Have you just has a jumble of words come out of your mouth and sound like a bunch of gibberish?"

Darcie was in thought. A few days ago there was something about a 'shurtugal'...

"What...?" she asked warily as she saw Murtagh's escalating horrified expression.

"He knows..."

"Who knows... knows what?" Darcie asked, wiping away tears.

"Your father... Galbatorix knows your true name."

"But I don't..."

"You're under your father's control. He's forced you to swear oaths already."

"I can't even control myself anymore!" Darcie wailed as she slumped back to the ground in tears.

Murtagh reached down and pulled Darcie up to her feet. Blind to her surroundings, she started thrashing to get out of his hold. Murtagh then pulled Darcie closer and held her in a hug until she finally gave up fighting. Within moments, she fell into him and cried into his tunic.

Her thoughts whirled in his conscious, words jumbled in a confusing fashion. He knew Darcie was right about how he should stay out of her mind, but Murtagh couldn't help himself. Almost nothing could calm him completely, not even Thorn, but hearing the girl's thoughts, her voice in his head, to him it was a soothing sound. He didn't understand what it was about her, but despite her difficulty when he tried to help her learn and sarcastic and snippy attitude, she kept him going every day. Deep down she wasn't the brat she always acted like; she's just misunderstood, ignorant of the world because of her father's choice.

A faint tug of Darcie pulling away brought Murtagh back to reality.

"Sorry..." she said quietly, blinking lightly to resist crying. Murtagh raised a hand and gently wiped away a tear that escaped her eye and slid down her cheek.

"Will you be ok for tomorrow?" Murtagh asked quietly.

Darcie looked down at the ground and nodded faintly. She then saw Murtagh's other arm pull away from her in a cautious manner; when she had pulled away he had let his hands stay on her waist. She then looked back up at him with slightly blurred vision. She blinked and her vision was clear and now could see Murtagh looking into her eyes. A few moments after she returned his gaze, he broke it and said, "I'll see you tomorrow then." He then walked away, leaving Darcie alone in the middle of the field.

_Was he blushing? _she realized.


	8. A Flustered Murtagh

The next day, Darcie got up and lethargically slid out of bed. She stretched and yawned and walked up to the window. When she saw Kazryth flying around the field in ten-second periods of time, she was automatically wide awake - he was learning rather quickly.

_Good morning, little one _Kazryth said as he landed on the grassy plain with a barely audible thump. _How are you?_

_I thought you weren't a morning creature_ Darcie responded with a slightly snippy attitude.

_It seems you have my morning attitude on this fine day._

_Ya, ya... _Darcie moved away from the window and changed into the clothes laid out for her on the chair in front of her vanity.

_Are you feeling better?_

_I've never truly felt great, you know._

_Compared to yesterday is what I am implying._

_I suppose..._

_To answer you question yesterday, Rider Murtagh was indeed blushing._

_What? _Darcie was confused - what question?

_Yesterday Rider Murtagh was heading for Thorn's barn and I couldn't help but notice the pink upon his cheeks rising with each step he took. May I ask what had happened to make him do so?_

_It's... I can't really explain right now, I have to be going _Darcie put her hair up with a sigh, wondering where Desiree was since she always did this for her.

After a few minutes, Darcie finally got it right and left her bedroom. The half-inch boots on her feet clicked upon the stone stairs. The guards pushed open the main door for her and she passed through. Darcie walked around the castle and into the currently empty field. She made her way through the gate and to the center of the enclosed space, waiting. She was used to waiting for Murtagh to appear, he was always late by at least five or ten minutes, but this time it was getting ridiculous - it had already been half-an-hour. She carefully sat down in the hard-packed dirt cross-legged.

_Have you the time of day to answer my question now? _Kazryth's voice broke into Darcie's mind.

_And what was that question again?_

_Why was Rider Murtagh seemingly flustered?_

As Darcie was about to respond, the sound of things clattering onto the field echoed across the plain. Darcie's head shot up and saw Murtagh hopping the fence and then grabbing the two long sticks.

"Five minutes is ok, ten minutes is getting lengthy, but half of an hour?" Darcie called.

"I apologize for being behind schedule, but I woke up late."

"Stay up late?" Darcie asked with a smug smile, still sitting in the middle of the field.

"Thoughts kept me awake."

"Hopefully your own," Darcie responded with a warning tone.

"Yes, princess," Murtagh said with a diplomatic, yet derisive, bow.

"Don't mock me at this hour with my thinned patience," Darcie replied flatly as she stood up.

Murtagh opened his mouth to say something, but instead of what he had planned on saying, all he could get out was, "Sorry." Then, out of nowhere, he threw the stick at Darcie for her to catch. She caught it and did a quick drill Murtagh had made her do until she got it perfectly weeks ago.

The lesson stretched for over two hours as Darcie was taught new techniques and had to use them. The only reason the lesson ended, as Darcie thought, was because her hair managed to come loose. Her light blonde curls fell loose and all the way to her shoulder blades and the shorter parts around her face. Darcie was forced to her knees because the pins came out during a short-lived battle.

"Dead," Murtagh said as his stick hit Darcie's side. "And hair getting in your face is no excuse."

Darcie rolled her eyes and gathered the pins that now lay on the ground. She couldn't find any convenient location for them, so she dropped all the pins into her right boot. They got stuck halfway down and poked into her calf.

"Well there's no way I can put my hair back up - my ability to do so has shone through."

"What ever happened to your servants?" Murtagh asked with an edge of distain.

"I just had my clothes laid out, that was it."

"You're going to have to start relying on yourself soon enough."

"Don't start with me right now," Darcie said flatly, looking at Murtagh with a hard stare.

She held out the stick and Murtagh took it, his hand brushing hers in the process. His touch seemed to linger on Darcie's hand. She waited for a tug of the stick that'd make her remove her grip, but it didn't come. She looked at Murtagh curiously and saw him looking back, his expression unreadable. She expected him to break his gaze and take the stick, but he took Darcie by surprise. His spare hand softly slid around her neck and brought her face to his. He dropped his head down slightly and brought his lips to hers.

Darcie was shocked at first, but started kissing him back within moments, opening her mouth slightly. Murtagh took advantage of this and slid his tongue into her mouth. Their tongues fought for dominance, but he won and he explored and tasted every corner of her mouth. A moan escaped from Darcie as Murtagh's hand and fingers softly slipped down her neck, shoulder, and then to her arm. She then gasped and pulled away from him.

"I-I'm sorry..." was all Murtagh could stammer.

"I-I'll s-see you t-tomorrow?"

Murtagh nodded faintly. Darcie looked over her shoulder to check to see the area was clear, and then back at Murtagh. Letting go of the stick, she kissed him and walked away in shock and dismay and left Murtagh surprised yet confused, the sensation of her mouth lingering on his tongue.


	9. Galbatorix's Truth

Darcie didn't sleep well that night, all she could think about was Murtagh's kiss.

_I don't even know him! _she kept telling herself.

_Well then get to know him_ was Kazryth's response, a hint of tiredness in his voice.

_Oh yes, I'm just going to go up to him and say 'I don't really know well, so I may as well start now' _Darcie replied sarcastically as she rolled onto her side in her bed.

_Not exactly like that. All human males seem to want what they can't have, so depending on how you feel about it..._

_I just don't want to rush into anything _Darcie cut in.

_Then be distant until you get to know Murtagh. You've heard some of his stories, and I've heard them through you. He seems like an interesting person._

_Funny, coming from the dragon who can't even give the rider a chance because of his sword _Darcie responded dryly.

_You know I mean _Kazryth responded dismissively. _Just talk to him and you might just see him in a new light... and I know it's funny coming from me!_

Darcie chuckled as she pulled her blanket over her head.

_The last time I talked to him, my mind was slightly obstructed and he stuck his tongue in my mouth. I'm not so sure about him anymore._

_He's quite taken by you from what I hear..._

_Who from?_

_Thorn. He hasn't said much to me about it, and I understand why. He told me somewhat of what he's getting, and I've been doing the same._

_You know how to keep secrets, that's for sure._

_We're just curious about this and are both trying to decipher this... sudden relationship._

_See, we are moving to fast!_

_Then make it go slower. And get some sleep before doing that._

_But..._

Kazryth's mind was blocked, and she heard light snoring from outside.

"He can really make himself go to sleep..." Darcie yawned and forced herself to close her eyes and go to sleep.

The next morning, Darcie was forced into another corset (_Why does father have to have guests so often?_ she thought the entire time). She went through another one of the royal parties without much trouble, other than it being a total bore. At one point, she was about to enter the ball room when she heard her father speaking.

"If I may ask your majesty, but where was this girl of yours before?" someone asked. Darcie stood behind the thin wall casually, listening to the conversation on the other side intently.

"Well, you all know I needed an heir, so I found one of the servants who so... _willingly_ held out this task."

Darcie's eyebrow rose - how come she never heard of this?

"Once Darcie was born, I had to dispose of her mother; I couldn't have her running about anymore. I then handed Darcie to her current nanny. Of course she hasn't been in her rooms her entire life, that's just her ignorance shining through."

Darcie's mouth dropped slightly.

"She then became a handful, wandering around everywhere, getting in trouble... and I couldn't have her known to everyone just yet, so I locked her in her room. She has been there since, only escaping once. Since then it was clear she was... scarred for years, not leaving her room or hall since."

The memory of her first wander around the castle as a 7 year old came to Darcie. She tried to shake it away, but the sound of the dragon's roar... the slicing of her skin...

Just as she was about to walk away, she heard one more thing from her father.

"Her only use is her dragon. If the last one hadn't have hatched, I would have personally taken my sword and..."

Darcie pushed through the crowds and headed for the nearest door, unable to hear another word. By the time she made it to the door, she was jogging. She didn't care where she was going, she just ran. Through the trees and uphill, she found herself in the same place she had been at the last get-together her father had. All she could think about is what a bastard the man is, saying he needed an heir but if the dragon didn't hatch she would've been...

_Some father... _Darcie scoffed as she wiped away tears that trickled down her cheeks.

_What happened? _Kazryth asked worriedly.

_My father is what happened! Why me? Why do I have to live the torture of being the daughter of a mad-man that thinks he's the greatest because he killed off all the real riders and labeled himself king? I'm a prisoner unto myself._

_Gee, thanks._

_You know what I mean._

Darcie sensed a presence behind her. Wiping away any lasting tears on her face, she looked over her shoulder and saw Murtagh standing ten feet behind her.

"Are you ok?" he asked.

"My father just said he would've killed me personally if Kazryth hadn't have hatched for me, do you honestly think I'm ok?" she snapped, another tear trickling down her face. "And that's just _one_ thing." She now turned around to face Murtagh, her arms crossed.

"Look, about yesterday..." his voice trailed off and he looked away from her.

"Why? Why so sudden about it?" she asked as another few tears escaped her eyes. She quickly dried them with a hand and fought to stay composed.

"I... I can't really say..." he looked back up at her with a sincere look in his eyes.

"Can't or won't?" Darcie cut in.

"It depends on how you see it really. I just... don't really know anymore."

"Is that why you offered to train me? So you can suddenly court me for no apparent reason? What do you take me for, an idiot? So I might've been outside my room once as a 7 year old but that a mistake, a mistake I can prove easily. Just because I..."

Darcie was stopped mid-sentence; Murtagh had claimed her lips once more. It took her a moment to realize what she was doing, and she pulled away.

"What was that for?" she exclaimed.

"To get you to stop rambling," he responded simply. "I know you're not the idiot your father thinks you are. You have potential, and some guard being forced to train you won't bring it out in you."

"So you volunteered because you felt you had to 'save me'? I'm no damsel in distress," Darcie snapped.

"You stormed off and nearly drowned yourself."

Darcie glared at him.

"I can't take swimming lessons in a small tub," she responded indignantly. To her surprise, Murtagh chuckled. "It's impossible to breathe and move on land in a corset; how do you expect me to swim in one?"

"I never implied that," Murtagh pointed out.

"And you're avoiding my question," Darcie responded automatically. "Why did you really volunteer to train me?"

"I have responded to you inquiry."

"Not fully. You just said you don't think of me as some dumb girl, so prove you mean it. Why did you truly want to train me?"

"If you're as intelligent as you silently claim, you should know."

"I want to hear it from you," Darcie responded flatly, looking in Murtagh's dark eyes with a hard expression. For a moment, he matched her gaze, but then he broke it and sighed.

"I've already said I can't... it's just hard to explain."

"Try."

"Ok then. I knew you were different, not your typical lady-in-waiting. I was hoping to at least get to know more about you and train you at the same time."

"You figured that was the only way, didn't you?"

Murtagh shrugged in response. Darcie withheld a chuckle, but couldn't help but smirk.

"You wanted to see if something was there, didn't you?" she asked him. This time, she was sure Murtagh's cheeks were burning, even though he tried to hide it.


	10. Get Out!

_**It skips a few weeks so things are a bit different between Darcie and Murtagh now (just so you know ))**_

_**And the horse Murtagh rides used to be my horse. If you can't imagine a grulla paint, I have pictures of my horse that will make it easier for you. They're on my Photobucket account 'rcgal455', or I can email one of them.**_

_**This is another long chapter by the way!**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_**------ **_

Another few weeks passed by in mostly silence. Even though they talked about it, Darcie and Murtagh have had long stretches of awkward silences for a week, sometimes talking. Afterwards, they finally both seemed to understand the other both accepted what happened and there are, indeed, feelings.

As Kazryth grew, Darcie was trying to figure out a way to escape the madness of her father and his rule. Once the long, uncomfortable silences between her and Murtagh passed, she had asked him abot the oaths that had been forced upon her and the ones he and Thorn had been forced to take. Once she had been told, she spent many nights trying to find loopholes to the many strict oaths they had taken. After a month, she finally figured out how to break the oaths without dying.

"Must I...?" Darcie started to complain when she saw the corset hidden under the dress Desiree had in her arms.

"This is neither the first nor last time, dear. You might recall the past two months that when you weren't training you have been wearing one. It isn't new anymore," Desiree pointed out. "Now come along."

Darcie stood where she was and crossed her arms.

Desiree shrugged and, within moments, somehow managed to get the corset onto Darcie.

"How'd you...?"

Then the pain came. Darcie swore she could hear her ribs cracking in complaint. Just as she thought they were about to break, Desiree had finished tying the hellish garment. Darcie them put on her dress and Desiree helped put up the young girl's half-tamed curly blonde hair. After an hour, Darcie was finally able to leave her room, still complaining about not being able to breathe.

"But Dezi..."

"Don't Dezi me," Desiree cut in. "You must grow accustomed to wearing a corset, despite having a beastie."

_I heard that._

Darcie chuckled.

"Dare I ask what you find so funny?" Desiree asked as she walked behind Darcie down the stairs.

"'The beastie' heard you."

Desiree rolled her eyes.

"And might I ask how I'm expected to eat in a corset if I can barely breathe in one?"

"You are swallowing, not breathing."

"It is early morning, what if I have to yawn? It's physically impossible to take a deep breath in a corset, so what if I have to yawn? It's like taking in a deep breathe..."

"Guess you can't yawn this morning. Should've thought twice before waking up in the dark of morning."

Darcie glared at her nanny. Desiree then went down one hallway while Darcie went through the other to get to the dining hall. The guards opened the doors for her, and Darcie entered and sat down at the far end. Her father was at the head of the table, and to her surprise, Murtagh was at the table - he never joined them for any meal other than dinner, and yet that was rare. The three ate in silence, no word uttered throughout the meal. Once the servants had cleaned up the dishes afterwards, the three still sat at the table in awkward silence.

"Well I best be going..." Darcie started to get up.

"Sit," Galbatorix commanded.

"But father..."

"Sit," her father snarled in a more threatening way. Darcie dropped back down into her seat in a rather unladylike fashion.

"Well it appears..." Murtagh started to stand up.

"You too, boy."

Murtagh sat back down noiselessly. There was a few moments silence.

"I am in no way trying to sound rude when I say this, but..."

"Silence," Galbatorix cut in snappishly. His hands held up his head on the table momentarily.

Darcie's heart pounded: what was going on?

"You two," Galbatorix started. "Haven't been telling the truth, and it has shocked me that neither one of you has said a word before me of it." He was then silent, seeming to expect an answer.

"What have you been expecting, father?" Darcie asked, unfaltering on her words.

"To be told by at least one of you about this... fling."

"Fling?" Darcie was picturing something being thrown across the room.

"Not that kind of fling," Galbatorix snarled impatiently, knowing what his daughter was thinking of. "If you weren't a blonde you wouldn't have excuse for your ignorance."

Darcie gapped, completely insulted at being called stupid because of her hair colour. She had heard the blonde stereotypes and even some jokes in the past and hated them all. She didn't have any choice on what her hair colour would be; she was born with her fair, platinum-blonde hair and shall remain the same way until she dies. She didn't know what fling meant other than the throwing kind of fling because she had been locked up in her room for her whole life because of...

"Don't you dare start with that," Galbatorix said warningly, causing Darcie's thoughts to be broken. "Now tell me, why have neither of you said a word?"

"I'm not aware of what a fling is because of my hair colour apparently," Darcie said casually. Galbatorix glared at her, and a sudden, crushing force surrounded Darcie - it was as though a strong had had gripped her body and was squeezing her to death. She gasped for air and tried to move.

"You dare to challenge me?" Galbatorix slowly pronounced each word with a cold edge. "You insolent girl, you have much more to learn." The force dropped Darcie and let her go. The force then seemed to give her a hard smack on her left cheek.

Galbatorix turned to Murtagh.

"I expected more from you. You court my daughter without consent and then not say a word? All the years you have eaten my food, used my money, have been trained under my watch and lived under this roof and this is how you repay me?" the king was now yelling, his voice echoing through the dining hall and presumably throughout other parts of the castle. "You would've died if it wasn't for me."

"I've lived in the wilderness," Murtagh responded simply. He was aware this comment was as bad as Darcie's 'hair colour' comment to Galbatorix, but he truly didn't care anymore.

"Get out of my sight," Galbatorix snarled. He then turned to Darcie, who was still trying to catch her breath, which was rather difficult in a corset. "I don't want to see your face either - get out."

Darcie got out of her chair and headed for the door at the fastest walk possible, her previously flushed cheeks now pale. She didn't even wait for Murtagh; she just left the castle and headed towards Kazryth's barn. In tears at this point, she ran through the fields and jumped over the fence. Kazryth broke the barn door, leaving part of it standing since he didn't take down the entire thing when he burst through, and landed in front of her.

_Are you alright, little one?_

_W... no, I'm not. I nearly got killed by own father! _

Kazryth lowered his head to her height and exhaled, drying her tears. She hugged his head and let her forehead rest on his nose. She felt his worry through their connection.

_He then told me to get out._

She then felt realization and happiness flow through Kazryth.

_What? _she asked, confused.

_This could be our chance. The king told you to get out, so if you were to leave Urû'baen, you would be getting out._

Darcie realized what he was getting at.

_He also told Murtagh to get out._

_Well there's him to..._

_Why don't you like him? Is it the sword he carries, the past it holds?_

_It is not only that, but I have a feeling there's something else to Rider Murtagh... a certain flaw. It is hard to explain in words, but there is something about him I can't place._

_It might just be the sword and its past._

_Maybe it is..._

She sensed his doubt. The great green dragon wasn't telling her the whole truth, and they both knew it.

"Darcie?"

The tearful girl let go of Kazryth, who in turn carefully pulled his head away. He snorted at the sound of Murtagh's voice. She had just realized she was shaking from shock. She felt Murtagh's arms envelop her. She fell into him and buried her face into his tunic, still shaking fearfully. She felt him rub her back reassuringly and kiss her hair, which had freed itself on the run to the barn.

"I'm so sorry," she heard him whisper.

_If you didn't want this to happen you should have said something to that madman! _Kazryth finally yelled at Murtagh.

_I didn't think this would happen! _Murtagh responded pointedly, trying to speak out loud.

_You are well aware of how courtship of your kind works. This event could have been avoided if you hadn't have been so reckless._

"Just drop it," Darcie wailed, her voice muffled. She felt Kazryth's anger for Murtagh linger, but he had stopped arguing. There was another silence between the three, only broken when Darcie pulled away from Murtagh and asked, "What is a fling in the terms father meant? I can only assume but..."

"The king is only coming to horribly thought-out conclusions about me," Murtagh responded, his hands now resting on her waist. "A fling is a relationship that only lasts a matter of a few short weeks or even days."

"That bastard..." Darcie muttered. She sniffled once, and looked up at Murtagh. "Kazryth found a way for us to escape this madness."

"How?"

"Father told us to get out. If you take that literally, he means get out of the castle... get out of the city."

Murtagh looked up at the dragon and told him, "I have underestimated you."

_That is no surprise, Rider._

Darcie gave him a sharp, scolding glare. She then felt his guilt for saying what he had.

"Can he fly with you on him?" Murtagh asked.

"That's why I have had saddle for the past month..." Darcie responded slowly.

"Ok then. The easiest way out is by horse. Kazryth, get Thorn and..."

_I know what to do_ Kazryth cut in snappishly.

"Watch it!" Darcie snapped. The green dragon huffed, indicating he was sighing. "Could you actually fly me straight up to my room before doing that? There's no way I'm traveling in a dress and sure as hell not in a corset."

The dragon hummed and crouched down so Darcie could mount. With only four hard flaps of his wings, they were level with her window. She jumped from the saddle to the window ledge, almost falling off in the process. She regained her balance and broke the window with a hard punch. The glass cut her hands, but they quickly disappeared when she thought the words of the healing spell.

She jumped through, put on her 'feminine men's clothes' as she called them, which she had grown accustomed to and grew to like since she had been wearing them every day. Before putting on her boots, she put on thigh-high nylons. She then took a mirror small enough to fit in her pocket and many hair pins and ties in case.

Opening her vanity, she found paper in one of the drawers. Taking out the quill and ink next to it, she quickly scrawled, I was told to get out, and Murtagh was told to leave father's sight. That is exactly what we're doing.

Placing the note on her pillow, she jumped up and onto the window ledge. She crouched down and walked through where the window used to be. She then jumped onto Kazryth's saddled back. He carefully made his way down, landing on the field in front of Murtagh with a solid, silent thump.

"Now I can ride," Darcie said as she jumped off of Kazryth's back. She turned to look at him and said, "Go get Thorn, and don't 'I know' me," she added before Kazryth could do so.

"When you do, start heading south-east and keep going until you can't see the gates of the city," Murtagh said.

_It will be my pleasure, _Kazryth said with a hint of sarcasm. He then took off for Thorn's barn.

As soon as he did, Murtagh and Darcie ran for the stables. They found their common mounts - a grulla paint named Poco and a chestnut paint named Shiloh. They quickly saddled their mounts and led them outside. Darcie pulled herself onto Shiloh's back and waited for Murtagh to get on Poco. Once he did, they went around the corner and took off at a gallop towards the fence that enclosed the area Kazryth had. They turned away from it a few strides before coming towards it and circled around the castle, going off at an angle once they got around the second corner. They slowed to a trot and went through the packed streets of Urû'baen. Once they got to an opening in the gates, they jumped off and led the horses through as to avoid going through the main gates where guards were positioned. Once Darcie came out from behind Poco, she mounted Shiloh again, waited for Murtagh, and then took off again. Within an hour, they met up with Thorn and Kazryth.

_Where are we to go now? I don't see any other open options for lodging for the night _Thorn said snippily.

_Don't be so pessimistic, Thorn_ Murtagh told the red dragon. He looked at Thorn and then Kazryth; Thorn was almost twice the size of the young green dragon. He then looked at Darcie and said, "I just thought of something."

"What?"

"I think I know how to break the oaths."


	11. Ideas and Plans

_**I knew I forgot to do something about two weeks ago...**_

_**Well here's the update I forgot to... update!**_

----

"We can't go to the Varden!" Darcie complained as they cantered on, watching Thorn and Kazryth become dots in the distance as they disappeared over the horizon.

"It's the only way. You will probably be as welcomed as I am."

"You fought Eragon against the Varden. How will I be 'as welcomed' as you?"

"You're the king's daughter."

Darcie rolled her eyes. Murtagh did have a point, but she wasn't going to let him know that.

"So what are the Varden like?" she asked, trying to make conversation.

"They're suspicious people..."

"How so?" Darcie cut in curiously.

"They have to be suspicious to survive. They're rebels of the land after all, if a spy for the king came in for example, they would all be killed. It takes them some time to trust as far as I'm aware," Murtagh explained as he spurred Poco to keep up his speed.

"So that's why they didn't let you in like Eragon?"

"Somewhat like that, yes."

"If they're so suspicious how will they let us join without being imprisoned?" Darcie asked as she slowed Shiloh down slightly in order to keep pace with Murtagh and Poco.

"That is when we shall swear fealty to Nasuada, assuming she is leading the Varden now. In the oaths Thorn and I took, there was nothing about swearing fealty to another, so I am only hoping swearing fealty to another will break the oaths to Galbatorix. I'm not sure what oath or oaths you took, but it was probably the same as mine," Murtagh explained as he extended Poco's stride into a gallop. Under Darcie, Shiloh extended her stride to keep close to Poco and Murtagh.

"All I remember from it was 'shurtugal', and I haven't a clue what it means."

"It means Rider, as in a dragon rider."

Darcie chuckled. "Out of all the words I don't know in the Ancient language..." She then looked up and into the sky to see what time it was; the sun was already halfway beneath the horizon, so she assumed that supper had passed.

"Hungry, I presume," Murtagh cut into her thoughts.

"Quit getting into my mind," she responded, not turning to look at him.

"Actually I'm hungry too; it just seemed pretty obvious you'd be hungry after only breakfast."

Darcie rolled her eyes. She then looked out and saw Thorn in the distance, Kazryth just barely a dot. "They made it to some hills!" she exclaimed. The two neared the Ramr River, the two dots of dragons getting bigger until they were full sized.

_I still think this is crazy _Thorn said.

"You don't even know why we're going," Murtagh responded.

Thorn shuffled on his feet, clearly embarrassed.

_So are you planning on going with us anyways? _Kazryth asked.

"The Varden."

_WHAT?! _Thorn exclaimed, a flame flying out of his mouth at the same time, causing the horses to spook. _There's no way we're going there!_

"Do you want to break our oaths, Thorn?"

_The answer for that goes both ways_.

"An honest answer - do you want to be free from Galbatorix?" Murtagh rephrased.

_Yes._

"If we swear fealty to another, then the oaths will hopefully break. Nothing in our oaths said anything about swearing allegiance to another, and I'm assuming if we swear allegiance to the Varden, we'll break our oaths with Galbatorix because we're siding with his enemies."

_Are you sure this will work?_

"Not completely, but we shall see."

Thorn appeared apprehensive about the plan, but didn't say anything.

"We should set up some sort of camp within these hills," Darcie said before the subject could be brought up again. She dismounted Shiloh and led the horse behind one of the large hills.

_Little ones, I have a better idea _Thorn said as Murtagh brought Poco around. He stopped and turned to face the red dragon curiously. Once Darcie replaced Shiloh's bridle with a halter she had grabbed before leaving, she came around as well.

"What would that be?" she asked.

Kazryth seemed to realize what Thorn meant, even if...

_The boy... the one that killed the Twins, he was on a quest for a girl._

"What?" Darcie and Murtagh asked at the same time.

_What? _Kazryth asked, having no idea what Thorn meant.

_I looked into his mind and saw a copper-haired girl in the clutches of the Ra'zac from a memory he held dearly. If we go to Helgrind and get this girl, the Varden might be more accepting to let us join their ranks._

"That is a good idea Thorn, except we're probably noticed as gone now," Darcie said.

_How so?_

"Well it's been a whole day... and I kind of left a note on my bed so the castle knew we were gone..."

"What?" Murtagh nearly exclaimed.

"Well it's pretty obvious we'd be gone anyways!" Darcie snapped back pointedly. "Do you honestly think my father would just not care about our whereabouts? He'd go searching the castle grounds anyways, they wouldn't notice the note until late because of his lack of checking the most obvious places! This way he gets what he wants and we get away as we were told to do, so it's a win-win situation here."

"How often have you seen or met with Galbatorix in the past?"

"Long enough," was Darcie's indignant response, her hands now on her hips and eyes flaring angrily.

_Just drop it you two. We've covered more distance than the madman's army could in a week - we're safe either way with our hidden home _Kazryth cut in before Murtagh could respond. He merely scoffed and replaced Poco's bridle with a halter, and then took off the saddle. He walked around the corner with it, Poco following him a few strides behind.


	12. Helgrind

_**Sorry about forgetting to update within the last two weeks. It's been here and everything (I'm just stuck on a future chapter and have been for about a month now...), but I've just been forgetting. I'll try for at least once a week... Since I missed last week, I'm putting up chapter 13 as well.**_

_**Happy reading!**_

_**Sarah (LadyMalfoyx)  
**_

* * *

Darcie woke up cuddled next to Murtagh with her rest resting up against his chest. She felt the warmth and light weight of his arm protectively wrapped around her waist. The land was still rather dark, but she was aware of the light peeking over the horizon beyond the opposite sand dune. 

_Did you have a good sleep, little one? _she heard Kazryth ask wearily.

_Did I wake you?_

_I couldn't sleep any longer than what I assume was two hours. I've been watching carefully all night as to clear my mind of possibly lurking danger by looking to see if the madman's soldiers had found us._

_We're going to Helgrind today, aren't we?_

_It is the only way for Rider Murtagh and Thorn to be accepted. As for us... it is best not to take that chance._

Darcie heard Murtagh grunt as he repositioned himself on the bed of sand.

_We should be leaving early - it is a fair distance from our location to Dras-Leona let alone Helgrind._

_But Helgrind is just outside of Dras-Leona, isn't it?_

_Yes, but it is some distance out. Wake Rider Murtagh, Thorn and I have been awake for hours, waiting for you two._

_Sorry... _Darcie grumbled as she slid out of Murtagh's hold. His hand dropped from her waist to the ground.

"Uh...?" Murtagh pushed up into a sitting position and looked around, squinting hard.

"We have to go," Darcie told him as she stood up.

"Five more minutes..." Murtagh said airily as he started to lie back down.

Darcie crouched in front of him and lightly gripped his arms and fought him to sit back up. He finally sat further up and looked at Darcie with half-closed, glazed-over brown eyes.

"_Five... more..._"

Darcie claimed his mouth with a soft, passionate kiss that woke Murtagh up. As he tried to deepen the kiss, Darcie pulled away slightly.

"You have to get up," she told him, her forehead leaning against his. Murtagh looked into her light blue eyes for a few moments, but then tilted his head so his lips met hers in another kiss. It took Darcie a few moments to realize was happening, and she pulled away and stood up and took a few steps back.

"We have to go," she repeated. Murtagh pouted wearily. "If you get up and we get to Dras-Leona, you just might get a deeper kiss than you expected..."

Murtagh pushed up off the sand dune. He stretched and yawned and stiffly followed Darcie, who was walking towards Shiloh and Poco.

* * *

After galloping across the land, they left the horses by the Ramr River. Darcie told them, in the Ancient Language, that they were free to go once she loosened their halters and removed the saddles. They took off towards Urû'baen once they were free.

Once they were gone, Darcie mounted Kazryth and Murtagh mounted Thorn. They flew over the Ramr River and made it to Helgrind with two thirds of the day gone by.

_The Ra'zac won't be expecting an quick ambush, and since the girl is in the main chambers, I think I should go in alone _Thorn said. _I will be out quickly._

Murtagh jumped off his dragon's back. With a whoosh, Thorn took off and was heading straight for the main entrance of Helgrind. Moments later, a petit girl with binds on her hands and feet and a gag in her mouth appeared balanced on her back, shaking in fear. Thorn softly landed as to make sure the girl wouldn't slip off his back.

_We best move quickly. The Ra'zac had not appeared but they will notice their... previous hostage gone _Thorn told them. _Now get this girl off my back, she won't stop thrashing._

Murtagh went up to Thorn's side and removed the girl from Thorn's back and placed her down, standing up. He looked at her, unsure of whether to break the binds on her feet, hands, or the gag.

"Not much choice?" Darcie pressed with a smirk. "For all we know she could have a loud mouth."

The girl glared at the princess.

"Or she could run away, but that's not the proper way to treat ones that have saved you, is it?" Darcie asked the girl with a sly smile. She moved up next to Murtagh and whispered, "You hold her and I cut the binds."

"Which ones are you going to cut first?"

"Feet, which is why you're going to holding her."

Murtagh didn't question Darcie as he went up behind the copper-haired girl, who eyed him warily. In a split second, one of his arms grabbed around her waist tightly. She tried screaming, but it was muffled by the gag and Murtagh's hand. Darcie crouched down warily and quickly cut the binds. As soon as she did, she jumped back, narrowly avoiding getting kicked by the girl.

"Do you wish to see you love again?" Darcie snapped, holding the knife up threateningly.

The girl was dead silent, unmoving.

"Oh yes, we know. That is why we freed you as a matter of fact. You're coming with us to the Varden where you'll be reunited with what's-his-face. Now, until then, you will cooperate or we'll make sure you never see your lover's face again, understood?"

The girl nodded jerkily, tears running down her face. Darcie then cut the blinds off her hands.

"Before I remove your gag, there's one other thing - don't run away. These lands are never-ending and if you don't die first you'll be recaptured by the Ra'zac."

The now-shaking girl nodded again. Darcie then undid the gag and Murtagh let go of her.

"What is your name?" Darcie asked as she burned the cloth in her hand. The girl looked startled and scared at the sudden show of magic.

"K-Katrina," she stammered.

"And what is your lover's name?"

"Roran," she responded as tears fell faster from her eyes. She looked at Darcie and Murtagh, and then the two dragons with confusion in her eyes. "W-who're y-you?"

"Darcie, hidden princess whom is now the third dragon rider."

Katrina's eyes widened slightly.

"And I am Murtagh, son of Morzan and long-lost brother of Eragon Shadeslayer."

Katrina's mouth dropped. "You're... you're Eragon's brother? But... you... that means..."

"Yes, he's our other dragon rider," Murtagh responded impatiently. The sound of the Ra'zac screaming echoed throughout the land.

"Get on the green dragon, Kazryth, and hold on tight," Murtagh said. Darcie looked at him questioningly. "You're riding with me."

The green dragon Kazryth stepped in front of Katrina. He eyed her momentarily, and then hummed and crouched, indicating she could touch him and get on. The copper-haired girl managed to get onto the green dragon, who took off as soon as her feet were in the stirrups. She held in a scream that built up in her throat.

_South-east! _Thorn told Kazryth as he took off with the two riders. Darcie just managed to fit in behind Murtagh in the saddle and held onto him for dear life as Thorn took off and started to catch up to Kazryth.


	13. A Proposition

The Ra'zac hadn't found or followed the two dragons and the riders, which alone worried Murtagh and Darcie. They feared the Ra'zac were going to Galbatorix and reporting them to the king, who would in turn send out his armies. This spurred Kazryth and Thorn to fly higher and faster.

A week passed and they finally made it to Aberon, capital of Surda, in a week an a half. Kazryth lagged behind slightly as to let Thorn ahead. They circled the city and landed in front of the gates. Thorn charged through them and broke them down completely, causing a big stir to the city.

_It wasn't required of you to do that _Murtagh scolded.

_I've been wanting to break down gates for months _Thorn responded sheepishly.

Murtagh first jumped down and off of the great red dragon as the armies of the city started coming towards them. As Darcie jumped down, Kazryth landed beside her. Through the crowds, Murtagh saw Eragon running towards him and Darcie with his sword raised and an angered expression escalating as the moments ticked by.

"What the hell are doing here, you traitor?" he demanded, still running forwards with his sword out in a threatening manner.

Murtagh scanned his brother's mind and merely looked into the elf-boy's eyes. This forced Eragon to stop a matter of feet in front of him. Eragon then saw Darcie next to him.

"And who're you?" he snapped. "Another one of..." Eragon then saw the green dragon and his sword dropped to the ground from his shock. He then looked back at Darcie, his infuriated glare bore into her. "You're the third rider aren't you? You've joined Galbatorix in his plans to destroy us, twisted your dragon to nothing more than a..."

"Don't you dare insult Kazryth," Darcie snarled so viciously Eragon jumped back in surprise. "There's a difference in joining Galbatorix and being his daughter."

The crowds gasped.

"Now, we've come to make a proposition. Kazryth, if you please," Darcie said as she turned to the green dragon. Kazryth swung his head around and helped Katrina down to the ground. She appeared unnaturally pale and a tinge of green that matched Kazryth's scales.

"Get..."

"You're not getting the girl just yet," Murtagh then cut in before Eragon could say 'Roran'. "We've given her a safe return, food along the way, transportation... you let us join the Varden and you get the girl."

"No way," Eragon responded quickly.

"You bloody idiot!" Katrina yelled at him.

"You can't trust traitors," Eragon snarled as he looked back at Murtagh.

"We'll swear fealty to Nasuada or King Orrin or whoever is in charge," Darcie said. Eragon appeared taken aback.

"W-what?"

"We'll pledge our allegiance to the leader of the Varden," Darcie repeated, sounding more impatient.

"You've already swore fealty to King Galbatorix, the both of you!" Eragon snapped.

"_By force_," Murtagh yelled angrily, causing Eragon to wince at the force of his voice. "If we swear fealty to your leader, we can break our oaths to Galbatorix. We'll be free from him and we will serve as we pledged and help destroy this 'mockery'."

"Technically that's implying..."

"As much as a son can't choose his father, a daughter can't either. My father locked me in my room and single hallway for 18 bloody years. I have only seen the light of the world for my own eyes, living in it instead of being on the... inside looking out for the past half a year! And you know what? This is what that madman and his dragon gave me." Darcie lifted up her shirt just enough to show four long scars gashed in a faint, yet distinguishable odd diagonal design down her toned stomach.

"I wandered outside of the hallway when I was 8 and into Shruikan's chambers. That monster of a dragon gave me this, and my father scolded _me _for it, saying it was my fault for leaving my room. That man is nothing more than a maniac bent on conquest of every part of the world, known and unknown. He doesn't care for anyone other than himself. Why would anyone willingly serve 'King' Galbatorix?" She pulled her shirt back down sharply, a hard glint in her eyes. "Give us a chance to prove ourselves. You'll need more than one rider out there, and you of all know it."

Just then, King Orrin and Lady Nasuada appeared.

"Eragon..."

"They were just about to..."

"They aren't leaving," Orrin cut. Eragon fell silent.

"How can we trust you two?"

"Well you don't truly know me..."

"You're the daughter of the king, as you so claim."

"Who would want to be the daughter of Galbatorix?" Darcie cut in with a shocked tone.

"True enough," Nasuada gave in. "But you," she looked at Murtagh with a glare. "Nearly killed Eragon and nearly demolished our armies. How do you expect us to trust you?"

"If I was so evil I wouldn't have tried to help reunite two lovers," Murtagh started. "And Thorn and I were forced to take our oaths."

"My lady, I can check his mind if you wish," Eragon said, looking at Nasuada.

Nasuada looked at the two riders. "Let Eragon check both of your minds. If what you say is true, you are welcome to join the Varden."

Orrin pulled Nasuada aside and they quietly argued for a few minutes. Finally, Orrin said, "They shouldn't expect hospitality from the others for some time."

"No worries about that, your majesty," Darcie tried to respond without a sarcastic tone. She was surprised to have succeeded.

Eragon first turned to Murtagh. "Don't block anything with help from your dragon."

His eyes bore into his brother's as he broke into his mind. Murtagh's body shook violently for a matter of moments, but then stood serenely. After many long minutes, Eragon released the spell, his face pale and shocked; he even shook slightly.

"Now you know true horrors, brother," Murtagh said coldly.

Eragon then turned to Darcie.

"You don't have much to search for, I've had a rather dull life," Darcie warned him.

"Don't block anything with the help of your dragon," he said with a smile flickering on his lips.

Darcie felt the walls of her conscious shatter as Eragon entered. All her lank memories flashed in front of her eyes, how Desiree said she wasn't to come out from her room again, how Shruikan nearly killed her, how her father scolded her, visits from her father and some of the sparring practices with guards she had. Finally he had gotten to the more interesting memories. The day Desiree said Darcie was free, when Kazryth's egg hatched for her, when she got the gedwëy ignasia from when he first touched her, how she met Murtagh, when she fell into the water and was saved by him, how she had begun training with sticks with Murtagh and the stories he told her about his travels with Eragon, how he taught her words in the ancient language throughout the day...

Eragon had gone through all parts of her life and her truths after what felt like agonizing hours. He finally released the spell, and Darcie felt light-headed and wavered on the spot like a drunk.

"One more thing," Eragon said.

"What...?" Darcie groaned as she rubbed her forehead.

Nasuada stepped forward and asked, "Do you swear never to bring purposeful harm to the Varden, to Surda, to all opposing forces of the Empire? Do you swear to serve us and not betray us the Empire in any way?"

"Vel eïnradhin iet ai Shur'tugal." _Upon my word as a Rider _they both said in synchronization.

"Then it is settled. Call Roran Stronghammer and tell him of the news along the way," Nasuada told the guards.

"Stronghammer...?" Katrina asked in confusion as she edged forward carefully, still appearing a tad nauseous.

"Katrina?" a voice called in the crowds.

Within moments, Roran pushed his way through the crowds. Katrina's expression filled with shock and happiness as he ran up to her and gave her a tight hug, holding her close.

"We've done our best to help her, but you should still get healers to check her," Darcie told Nasuada and Eragon. As Darcie said that, healers had already begun to take her in.

Nasuada looked at the two of them, and then turned to Eragon. "Led them and their dragons to the buildings behind the castle, and then show them to their tents."

"But behind the castle is where..."

"Saphira is, I'm aware."

Eragon sighed. He then snapped, "Come along."

Darcie rolled her eyes and followed Eragon, Murtagh close behind. The two dragons thumped along beside their riders, causing the crowds to move out of the way for the large creatures.


	14. Premonition

_**I always write dreams in first person in fan fictions. It isn't hard to figure out whose 'dream' this is, but if you can't it's always said afterwards. And yes, this 'dream' just may prove to be of importance later on...**_

_**Also, sorry about not updating in like, forever... I got a new computer and it took a day to transfer files, and then summer just got in the way cause of camps and my brother leaving for 3 months... and we kept getting Japanese students so I didn't have much time for like, anything. School's starting, so it might be a bit different with updates for a bit (but not as long as it did this time, probably once a week or something). I have to get back into this story...**_

_**Oh, and sorry if there are any mistakes - I didn't have much time to proof-read (just space out). **_

_I looked around curiously - where am I? The sand burned beneath my feet, the open desert expanse calling me. It was as if there was an orange glow to the land, the sun seemed to be absorbed in the sand._

_There was a wailing war cry, and I looked to my left. The Varden and those of Surda were marching forwards on their feet or on horseback. I watched them advance across the open expanse of land; towards something I did not know._

_As if reading my mind, a battle horn sounded on the other end of the desert, and then the shriek of the Ra'zac. I watched the armies of my father march over the horizon, their lines never-ending compared to the Varden, the Surdans, and the Urgals that were ready to fight against the Empire. I watched them gain speed, and at the one point when I thought they would crash, they started attacking. The sounds of metal clanging against metal, the whish of the arrows slicing the air, all the noises melded into one._

_The battle raged on, and I heard the roar of dragons. Flying over the horizon was Eragon on a large, blue dragon she knew as Saphira. Next to the female dragon was Thorn, Murtagh on the red beast's back. They flew into battle and stabbed and scorched the enemies, burning them into what I came to realize was the Burning Plains. Eragon took off for one section of the enemy's army, while Murtagh went in the opposite direction, flying overhead and in my direction. Za'roc flew down and decapitated many below. Thorn roared as stray arrows punctured his wings and armour._

_I watched them fly on, killing all in their path in one way or another. As Thorn flew a hundred yards before me, I felt a sudden darkness come over the land. Just as I thought the Varden would win the battle, I saw __him_

_The deep, ferocious roar of the infamous black dragon, Shruikan, echoed across the land and through my ears. As the dragon came over the horizon, I saw my father, the 'king' himself, on his back with an onyx black sword in his hand. Within five hard flaps, Shruikan was above the battle, scorching the dead and the dying Varden warriors. With the flick of his tail, he took out half a sector of Surdans._

_I saw an arrow whiz from Thorn's back and hit the great black dragon. Shruikan roared in agony as the arrow bent the armour on his shoulder. He landed, and father jumped off. He slowly made his way towards Thorn and Murtagh, who had landed many yards before him. It was as if the warriors had disappeared suddenly - all I could see were the two dragons, my father and my love._

_An arrow broke the silence and flew towards the king and burnt up in midair as it neared his heart._

"_Stupid boy. You're just like your father, your arrogance is your downfall."_

_I watched Murtagh crumple to the ground under magic. I sensed the battle between the two, I knew who was going to try what spell, and I knew when it was going to be used and how long._

_The spell was lifted, and Murtagh got up. I sensed what he was going to do - he was going to try and use a killing spell. Galbatorix put up a strong, magical shield when he realized this._

"_NO!" I yelled._

_Murtagh couldn't hear me - his spell was released. It bounced off the shield and hit him in the heart, killing him automatically. Thorn roared in agony as he died with his rider._

_Tears flooded my face as my father walked up to Murtagh, took Za'roc from his side and drove the infamous sword through his heart._

"_Darcie," a distance voice said to me. I recognized it as Murtagh's..._

"No!" Darcie screamed as she thrashed around on the bed. "I'll...I can't..."

"Darcie?"

Darcie heard her name again, but didn't recognize the voice. Her body shook as tears slid down her cheeks. Her eyes were open, but her vision was too obstructed to see anything. A warm touch with a light grip on her arm brought her into reality. The grip rolled her onto to her back, and then onto her other side so she could see what was going on. Trembling, she looked directly forwards and through her blurry vision saw Murtagh sitting on a chair next to her. Her skin tingled as his finger wiped away her tears.

"Wha... wha happened?"

"Well first off it's been two days since we've been here."

Darcie shot up, but a quick, throbbing pain in her head made her groan and fall back into the bed.

"What do you remember?" he asked.

"Traveling-wise or altogether my entire life?" she asked, her weariness overtaking her snappy tone.

"Do you remember coming to Surda and meeting with Nasuada and Orrin...?"

"Of course."

"Going into your tent?"

"Not clearly..."

"What do you remember?" he asked as his hand played with her hair.

"Eragon..." she practically snarled. "Being so unwilling, so stubborn... so... smug when bringing us around. Then... being shown my tent... walking in... and then nothing. What did happen?"

"By the time we noticed you were out it was time to sup, so all we can assume was you fainted and fell into some sort of trance," Murtagh responded, twirling a lock of her blonde hair around his finger. "Were you having a nightmare?"

"I think it was a premonition of what's to come in battle..."

"What is to come in battle?"

Tears welled up in Darcie's eyes again. The sight of Murtagh's dead body on the Burning Plains flashed into her mind.

"I don't mean to upset you. Forget I asked."

"Rider Murtagh, can you please leave this tent for the next short while?" a woman standing by the tent flaps asked with a strange, musical accent. Murtagh looked to see who he was responding to and then started to complain. "Your dragon needs you," the woman cut in.

Murtagh sighed. He looked at Darcie and whispered, "I'll be back later." He kissed her softly and then left.

The woman shut the tent flaps after Murtagh and came up to Darcie with a drink. Darcie started to reach out, but the woman said, "You have to sit up to have this."

Darcie sighed and tried to push herself up. The woman ended up pulling Darcie up into a sitting position. When she looked at the woman, she recognized her from stories and a few dreams, it was the elf, Arya.

"When did you wake?" the elf, Arya, asked.

"Few minutes ago," Darcie responded as she drank the liquid she was given. She gagged on the taste of it.

"Swallow it, it'll help for later."

Darcie forced it down her throat. As soon as it was down, she took in deep breaths to rid of the lingering taste upon her tongue.

"Tell me, what did you see?"

"When?"

"In your premonition."

"But... how'd you...?"

"It wasn't that hard to figure out," Arya responded with a light smile, taking the seat Murtagh had sat in moments before. "What did you see? The battle?"

"How'd you know...?"

"I assumed. Now what happened in this premonition of yours?"

Darcie took a deep breath and explained what had happened in full detail. "I think Murtagh cut it off... it was still running through my mind when I heard his voice. But... Galbatorix was going back to his dragon, so I can only assume he was going to Eragon next..." A few stray tears leaked from Darcie's eyes. "And as far as I know, you can't stop a premonition from coming true, I don't think I could live a day without..."

"I've had many premonitions before. Most of them happened, but in the end a few actually didn't turn out to be. I found it was just a dream, a thought on my mind. You might have just had a dream."

"I have never seen the Burning Plains. In fact, I've barely seen any of the world other than the areas I have been through once escaping the madness of the 'king'. I've been locked up my entire life."

"You're free now," Arya told her. Someone called her name. With a sigh, she said, "I must be going. I'll be returning in a few hours to check on you."

Darcie couldn't get any words to come out of her mouth, so she merely smiled and nodded. As Arya left, Darcie felt a force pulling upon her strength. Looking down, she saw a silver necklace with a small medallion shaking and glowing. Fear rose within her as she felt her strength deplete drastically. Just as she thought she was going to die, the tugging stopped.

_What... what was that?_

_Your necklace calling upon your strength _was Kazryth's response.

_Why?_

_Someone was trying to scry you. The necklace you have been given prevents this from happening._

_Why does it need my strength? I have little from... whatever happened._

_That is just how the magic works, little one. There's no changing it - you will always know when one is trying to scry you._

_Where are you?_

_Do you remember where the castle is?_

_Well not from here _Darcie snapped.

_I'm in the back section of the castles with Thorn and Saphira._

_So how have things gone between the two of you and Saphira._

_Rather rocky..._

Another voice entered Darcie's mind, a female voice. _That's not the word you used days ago. _Saphira scoffed.

She sensed Kazryth's faint irritation.

_I'll see you soon. Until then..._

In the distance, Darcie heard a mighty roar. She sighed and rolled her eyes. In response was an even louder, greater roar from who she assumed was Saphira. Personally, Darcie couldn't wait to see the female dragon. After hearing much of her along the way and from Murtagh before leaving, she wondered how big she was, since she was much older than Kazryth and Thorn.


	15. An Early Morning

_**There's an... implication at the end of this chapter. I was bored and had no ideas, so I spiced things up a bit.**_

_**And the dream/premonition may just come to be important later on... you'll find out if it does or not.**_

_**Until then, enjoy this chapter!**_

_** LadyMalfoyx **_

Darcie slowly stirred the next morning. She winced at the pounding feeling in her head caused by the light of the sun seeping through the tent. Her body shook as she recalled the same 'dream' she had when in her 'trance'. The sight of Murtagh's body lifelessly lying on the Plains, his bloodied chest from Galbatorix sending his sword through his heart, Thorn dead along with his rider... it was all too much for her.

An empty feeling hit Darcie's stomach; a reminder she hasn't eaten in nearly three days. She slowly pushed herself up and then swung her legs over the edge. She stood up and leaned against the bed for a moment, and then let go. Her legs gave out from under her and she collapsed, but Darcie was determined to stand. She got back up and was fine. Darcie then slowly made her way out of the tent, grabbing things for support along the way. She held onto the pole supporting the tent and, deciding to get it over with faster, flung open the flap. She covered her eyes to protect them from the ruthless Surdan sun. Her eyes adjusted, and then she plodded down the path, following the smell of breakfast being cooked.

"What're you doing?" Darcie recognized Arya's voice.

"Getting food..." Darcie said as she kept walking, not even noticing Arya by her side.

"You can barely walk; I'll get something for you."

"Can't I just...?"

"No. Get back in your tent I will be back."

"But..."

"Go," Arya said firmly.

"Can't I at least see Kazryth?" Darcie finished and looked down at Arya hopefully.

"Soon enough, but not now."

"Come on, please?" Darcie squealed when she felt herself being lifted off the ground. Her head spun once she was finally still.

"Always listen to the healer," she heard Murtagh's voice say as he walked back towards the tent.

"Put me down!" Darcie screamed the entire way back to the tent. Murtagh finally put her back down on the bed. She was still yelling 'put me down' once she was on the bed.

"You're down."

Darcie was quiet. She sat up and glared at him, while he just smiled innocently. She tried to get up and out of the bed again, but with a light push of the shoulders, Murtagh got Darcie to sit down.

"Hey!" Darcie tried to get up again, but Murtagh pushed her back down. With a quick flurry of motion, she whacked his arms out of the way and got up again. She took two steps and felt a magical force pull her back and pin her in a sitting position on the edge of the bed.

"You're going to stay here," Murtagh told her firmly. "And be patient."

"But..."

"No."

"I just..."

"Hey!"

"Want to see..."

"Ah!"

"I JUST WANT TO GO TO VISIT KAZRYTH!" Darcie yelled before Murtagh could cut her off again.

"Well you're going to have to wait then," Murtagh responded simply as he took the chair at the far end of the tent and sat in front, and a few feet away, of Darcie.

He flinched as she started screaming in complaint. He waited for her to stop, but when she wouldn't give in he brought the chair closer, sighed, and covered her mouth with his hand to silence her. She tried to pull away, but he knew where and when she'd jerk away. She bit his hand and, out of instinct, Murtagh pulled away and shook his hand quickly - she had a hard bite. She started kicking around to get out of the force that still held her down in a sitting position, but nothing broke the spell.

Moments later, Arya entered the tent with a tray of food. As soon as she did, Darcie was silent.

"The healers in the far west wing of the castle were wondering what the noise was," she commented casually as she put the tray at the far end of the bed.

Darcie tried to reach, but the force stopped her. Looking at Murtagh expectantly, he released the spell, and she started eating her breakfast.

"What was the noise for?" Arya asked curiously.

"Temper tantrum."

"Uh ug auna ee azrit!" Darcie said, her mouth full. Murtagh chuckled - she definitely was really hungry.

"Don't forget to swallow," he said calmly. Darcie rolled her eyes and swallowed.

"I just want to see Kazryth," she said, repeating what she previously said.

"You'll probably be able to leave here in a day. You seem to have a slight fever that can easily disappear by tomorrow," Arya told her.

"Doesn't fresh air help?" Darcie pointed out.

"I'll open the tent flap just for you," Murtagh said.

Darcie scowled in response. Suddenly her surroundings went black...

_I stood in the Burning Plains, watching the battles rage on. Tears stung my eyes and blurred my vision as I saw Murtagh and Thorn among the dead. I then felt myself being pulled across the land behind Shruikan and father. Shruikan took off, burning the lands and people below as he flew over them, and then a blue dot appeared in the distance, quickly getting bigger. I realized it was Saphira._

_Shruikan bit the armour on Saphira's neck and she roared as the metal bent into her scales and stabbed through. Eragon, who was on her back, quickly pulled out his bow and arrow and shot it in an open spot on Shruikan - under his front leg. His roar echoed throughout the lands as it punctured the soft, velvety skin left open. Shruikan swung his head around and whacked Eragon out of his saddle and fifty feet away. Saphira tried to dismount Galbatorix from his dragon, but he sent her flying backwards with a simple spell. She landed just inches in front of Eragon, her nose resting on his chest. His panted for breath as Saphira's weight pressed down upon his lungs. She quickly got up and off her rider and helped him back into the saddle. She then took off, trying to fly away from Shruikan and Galbatorix and to an open space where they could fight._

"_Coward! Can't even face a fellow Rider in battle! How pathetic!" Galbatorix yelled as Shruikan took off and chased Saphira._

_He gained on her quickly and forced her to spiral and plummet on the ground. She landed on Eragon's leg, causing him to let out a yowl of pain as she crushed it. She tried to get up off of Eragon, but Shruikan landed beside her and forced her down and over, slowly killing Eragon. Saphira's dying cries filled the air, but at the last moment, Shruikan let her up and she got up in hopes of saving Eragon. She was weak, knowing Eragon was slowly dying from crushed bones._

_To their surprise, Galbatorix healed Eragon, and with his strength Saphira was as strong as he was. She let out a blood-curdling cry and snapped at the seat of Shruikan, hoping to get Galbatorix. She missed, not realizing Galbatorix had jumped off and walked around the great black dragon. He took her by surprise and drove his sword through her armour and into her heart. She let out a raged yet pained cry and, fell. Eragon jumped off and tried to attack Galbatorix, but he pulled his sword out of Saphira and into Eragon. He fell motionlessly next to Saphira._

_The tears of hatred and sadness returned and stung my eyes. Because of me, the dragon race would die..._

"Stop... please stop!" Darcie cried as the sight of the Burning Plains disappeared. Her hands covered her eyes, making her current world black.

"What did you see?" Arya asked.

"Father... Shruikan... death..." Darcie sobbed.

"Who was murdered?"

"Eragon... and... and Saphira... through the armour the blade went... all my fault..."

Arya put the back of her hand up to Darcie's forehead, appearing slightly surprised after doing so. "You're burning up...". Arya then curiously asked, "What'd you do?"

"Because of me... they're coming..."

"Don't blame yourself," Murtagh cut in softly. "It was the right thing to do, and this way we have a chance to finally destroy the armies and the king, right?"

Fresh tears escaped at the memory of her first premonition.

_What's wrong? _Kazryth asked the three worriedly.

_Darcie's had another premonition._

_Another?_ Kazryth asked, surprised.

_She will tell you when the time is right_ Arya told them both.

_I'll be right there._

_You can't make it through the camp, _**_Bjartskular._**

**_I would run over every tent if I must._**

**_When I can I'll see you where you are Kazryth... trust me. I'm... I'm being held here by force_**** Darcie told him wearily.**

**_You were going for food _****Kazryth pointed out casually.**

**_And then to see you._**

**Arya's name was called by someone distant in the camp. She sighed and said, "I must go for now. I will return later." She then walked out and shut the tent drapes behind her, leaving Darcie and Murtagh in a growing silence.**

**"You can't stop a premonition from coming true," Darcie said just barely above an audible whisper, tears forming in her eyes once more. "Do you want to know what my other premonition was when I was in my 'trance'? It was similar... it was... just, the battle on the Burning Plains... the armies engaged in battle... and then you and Eragon shot up over the horizon. Fa... Galbatorix," Darcie corrected herself and wiped away her tears. "He then came over the horizon with Shruikan... and... they chased you and Thorn and... and..." Darcie shuddered, both at the memory and to hold in a sob that threatened to be released. "You two landed... and there was a quick battle. You... you tried to... to kill Galbatorix, and then... he knew... he just knew, and he took that spell and..." The comforting warmth of Murtagh's hands calmed her as he took her hands in his. "He used it against you. He used a... a... a strong shield... and the curse..." Darcie couldn't look him in the eye as her vision blurred once more. Looking down at their entwined hands, she felt a tear trickle down her cheek. "It hit you. You and Thorn... were killed like that. Then... he took Za'roc... and made sure you were dead..."**

**A choked sob escaped Darcie once more, who was still looking down. She saw her hands in his and wished it could be this way forever. She wished she could finally keep something so good in her life, but it seemed fate didn't want it that way. She saw Murtagh's hands slip out of hers, only to feel them lightly forcing her to look up.**

**"Maybe... maybe it wasn't a premonition. Maybe it was a dream... a nightmare, a thought that was brought to mind under the damn Surdan sun."**

**"When I... when I saw both your death and Eragon's... what scared me the most before I saw the deaths was... I wasn't there. It was just you and... you and Eragon flying over the horizon, together. It seemed... it seemed like it was meant to be that way, for you two to fly together as brothers under the sun..."**

**"You might have been elsewhere..."**

**"No matter where I went in my... in my dream-like state, neither Kazryth and I were there..."**

**Darcie then bit her lip lightly to stop it from shaking. Her success only came from the feel of Murtagh's thumb caressing her tear-stained cheek. She saw a light emitting from Murtagh's hand out of the corner of her eye. It passed through her and sent a cool sensation through her body, relieving her of her throbbing and boiling head and any other pains that had been caused earlier on. Her fever had disappeared.**

**"Why didn't... why didn't someone just do that before...?" she whispered.**

**"It's a powerful spell, not even the Varden healers put together can do it without killing themselves." Murtagh's hand emitted the same blue light once more, and the heat on Darcie's face caused by crying had dispersed. Her eyes no longer watered, her vision was clear. Overall, she felt like she was back to normal.**

**"And are you going to say the same about that spell?" Darcie asked.**

**"No, it's a commonly used spell. I'm surprised Arya hasn't used yet."**

**Darcie chuckled. She leaned over and kissed Murtagh. Within moments, she felt a light nibble on her lower lip, causing her to open her mouth. Murtagh's tongue found its way into her mouth and battled hers for dominance. His hands slid down her face, neck, and shoulders until they sat at her waist. He broke away from her mouth and started kissing down her jaw and then her neck. She felt Murtagh's hands slide under her thighs and lift her up slightly and move her farther back onto the bed. Once she was, he moved from the chair to the bed.**

**As Darcie fell back onto the bed, she sensed Kazryth block their link.**


	16. Meeting Saphira

**_Ok, here's an update. It isn't much, but it's something )_**

**_And I had one random thought and suddenly I have another idea for a different OC/Murtagh story... I'm nearly finished with this story so as soon as I'm done, I'll start on the other one. No idea what it'll be called, but it'll work on it while rereading my summary..._**

**_Enjoy this update XD_**

****

* * *

****

Darcie woke to the light of the sun seeping through her tent. With a yawn, she opened her eyes and rolled out of the bed, not wanting to get the sun directly in her eyes. In this process, she got up easily, changed, and left her tent, planning on visiting Kazryth. It had been four days since she saw him, and that was including the days she was in her 'sleep'. She didn't have any time the day before since Arya was busy making sure she was ok to go elsewhere in the camp. By the time she was, Nasuada had found reason to call her. When Darcie had gotten to the castle, it was time for mid-day meal, and then her task took hours. By the time she had finished, she literally stumbled through the camp and into her bed, falling asleep immediately.

Walking around the castle, she saw the building in which Kazryth told her of. She poked her head through the human-sized door and was somewhat surprised yet happy when she saw Kazryth waking Saphira with a soft-hearted nuzzle. She closed the door silently and waited for a few moments. When she heard the thumping of Saphira getting up, she then said, _Good morning. How do you fare on such a... bright day?_**_  
_**

_I feel like going out for a little fly around the castle, actually._

_In the early morning? What happened to your 'if you expected a morning dragon you're out of luck' attitude?_

_Things can change._

_So I have noticed. How are Thorn and Saphira? _Darcie waited for his response. She heard a bellowing noise she took as a dragon yawn.

_His scale colour reflects his morning attitude_ Kazryth responded simply. A split-second later, the sound of rustling and scratching echoed throughout the large room.

_Who... made that noise?_

_Thorn is waking up. Now for that fly..._

The sound of wood cracking and splintering echoed across the open desert. Kazryth's emerald green scales glistened in the morning sun. He saw Darcie and hummed.

_Is there a door for you all to open and close?_

_We break a new one down everyday and they still don't get the hint _Saphira said as she followed Kazryth outside.

Darcie looked up at the great blue dragon. She wasn't much bigger than Kazryth to her own surprise, but her eyes appeared older and wiser. Looking into the large, sapphire eyes of the dragon, Darcie could tell she had been far and seen many things in her lifetime. Saphira lowered her head and looked at Darcie with one large eye. She then hummed, indicating Darcie was safe and free to touch her if she wanted.

_So you're the 'princess rider'? _Saphira asked.

_If you wish to state it that way._

_It was pretty apparent that's all Eragon thinks of you - the lucky princess._

_Lucky_

_He does not know of you being a 'prisoner unto yourself'. Over the past few days when he's brought it up, he chooses not to listen to the truth._

Darcie smiled.

_Well, it's great to know you understand clearly._

Saphira's hum changed to a happier tone.

"If you two wish to go for a fly around the area, I shall leave you be," Darcie said aloud.

_I shall see you soon, little one._

_I'm not 'little' though..._

Saphira made a low growling noise, which was her way of laughing.

_Even when you're in your elderly human years you shall be little to me._

_How elderly?_

_Until we pass._

_That's too long!_

Kazryth 'laughed' as well.

"I'll leave you two be now." Darcie then turned around and walked away. She heard the swish of the dragons' wings forcefully lifting them off the ground.

_You do know what's going on between those two, correct? _Thorn's groggy voice asked. Darcie stopped and went back to the building. Inside, Thorn was stretching out.

_I can venture guesses. Why do you ask?_

_I am curious as to if Kazryth cared to mentioned anything._

_No, but I opened the door and saw enough to guess._

Thorn grunted in response. Darcie then left Thorn to wake up. Walking around the castle once more, she pulled out a fan she had found by her bedside and tried to get a cool breeze as she walked under the scorching sun. She wondered how much longer she would be stuck in Surda, the 'land of the scorching sun'.


	17. Sickness

_**Ok, I've finished this entire story now, so updates won't take forever hopefully. I had a totally random thought after updating last, and I turned it into another Murtagh/OC story. Don't have a title, but I have a short, crappy summary and a better, longer one. I've started the story for that one...**_

_**Also, there will be a **__**one-shot**__** sequel. It's a long way from here I can say (the end). I finished it on September 7**__**th**__** at 7:25pm, and shortly afterwards and over the course of the next day I nearly finished the one-shot sequel. I'm not saying what it's called because it'll give away the ending.**_

_**Enjoy this update ) The answer to what happens will be posted in a few days!**_

* * *

Weeks passed by, and it definitely became apparent there was something between Kazryth and Saphira. Darcie saw Eragon's reaction to the news, but beyond his happiness for Saphira, Darcie saw his pain. She slightly understood why - Kazryth was under Galbatorix before coming here, along with Darcie. Ever since she came, there has been a kind of coldness between the two that was indescribable. They could get along rather well when working together, which Nasuada made sure of, but when at the camps they weren't as 'friendly'. 

Darcie still received training from Murtagh. They would spend hours in the shadows of the empty dungeons, training with swords and in magic. She had learned many spells that had come straight from Murtagh's learning with Galbatorix, spells no one dared to utter or look up. Her strength had greatened with these spells, and within a short amount of time she was as strong as Murtagh. Along with her strength in magic came her efficiency, swiftness, and strength in swordsmanship.

When it came time for her 19th birthday, which was only a week after she got better, Darcie was surprised people knew - she hadn't told anyone when she was born and let alone how old. She only assumed Murtagh found out when he was in her conscious. Because of it, she received little gifts from some people whenever she passed by.

-----------------------------

Darcie was looking through books she had gotten in the castle's library while sitting on her bed in her tent. Once she had learned how to read, thanks to the librarian, she was rather drawn to facts about Alagaesia before her father and the Forsworn when the elves came to the land. When not reading history, she enjoyed average stories that drew her into the story itself.

As she flipped a page in the book she was reading about King Palacar, she felt a lurching in her stomach. _How could I be hungry if I just ate?_

Her head then felt light. The lurching in her stomach felt as if it was going upwards, so she ran outside and as far away from the camps as possible before she let up her mid-day meal just outside the remainder of the camp's tents. She staggered back to camp, feeling twice as sweaty and hot as before. She nearly ran into Murtagh as she made her way back to her tent.

"Sorry," she muttered, trying to walk around him. Nearly tripping in the process, he stopped her.

"Have you had this much wine already?"

"No... I was just reading... and I felt sick... my proof is outside the camps."

"You're as pallid as the Surdan sand."

"Really...?"

"Come along," Murtagh said. As he started walking away with her, he caught her as she fell and he ended up having to carry her back to her tent and calling for Arya.

Minutes later, Arya came to aide. She saw Darcie's pale face and dull eyes and said, "Murtagh, can you leave us for a few minutes?"

He opened his mouth to complain, but Arya cut him off and said, "I need to do a few tests. Now go, you'll be informed later."

Murtagh then left the tent with a scowl.

--------------------------------------

An hour passed and Murtagh still paced outside the tent. He could hear the occasional movement inside, but there were no answers - or at least any he couldn't hear. His anxiety built until Arya opened the tent flap. One look at her expression told him she wasn't happy, even if she covered it well.

"Within the past month have you and Darcie had... intimate relations?"

Murtagh was taken aback, but he nodded faintly.

"Alright then, come in." Arya pulled the tent flap further open to let him through. In the back of the tent and on the edge of the bed, Darcie sat with her face in her hands, rocking back and forth slightly and her breath was shaky - she was crying. Arya stopped Murtagh, who was trying to walk further in.

"So what is it?" he asked.

Arya grabbed the chair, gesturing him to sit down. Murtagh did as he was told.

"Darcie?" Arya asked as she sat down next to the girl.

Darcie looked up from her hands, wiped away the tears from her face and looked at Arya. The elf smiled slightly and Darcie then looked at Murtagh. She faintly gestured him closer. He moved the chair until he sat in front of her.

"This is only the beginning..." was what she first said as he took her hands, not even caring if he got sick doing so. "And please, please don't get mad..."

"Why would I get mad?" he asked softly, feeling her freezing hands get warmer quickly.

Darcie shook as she withheld a wave of fresh tears. She looked into his eyes and opened her mouth, but no words came out. She looked at Arya desperately.

"Darcie's..."

_Thud._

* * *

_**If you haven't guessed it yet, you'll find out for sure what's happening in the next update. That 'thud' is also important.**_


	18. Darcie's News

Light flooded into Murtagh's eyes. Squinting at the sudden brightness, his head throbbed painfully. The pain didn't feel as if it was from the light though... putting his hand to his head, he felt a bandage on it - that'd odd. What happened?

His eyes opened more, and the paled face of Darcie loomed over him. He relaxed slightly, knowing she was still there. He saw her let out a breath she seemed to have held in for some time.

"Wha... wha' 'appen'd?"

"You fainted and you hit your head on the edge of my desk," Darcie responded flatly.

"Why'd I faint...?" he asked slowly.

"What do you remember?"

He recalled the last time he heard those words. The closest to a chuckle he could get without pain was grinning faintly.

"Being kicked out of the tent..." he saw Arya's face next to Darcie's and stopped.

"Anything else?" Arya asked.

"Sitting down...?"

"That's it?" Arya asked, seeming slightly surprised.

"Everything's black after that other than one word. What time of the day is it? Is it still the same day for that matter?"

Darcie smiled warmly. "You fainted only a matter of minutes ago."

"And I don't recall being told _why_..."

Darcie's hand now lay on Murtagh's far cheek. "Don't faint again when you're told... please."

Murtagh's eyebrow rose in confusion. Darcie seemed to struggle with her words and looked at Arya. They whispered to each other for a moment, appearing to be bickering. All he caught is, "You should say..." which was clearly half of the sentence.

"Shall I rephrase?"

This stopped the two girls from bickering quietly.

"What was it that is making you sick?" he asked, directing his question at Darcie. Her face seemed to be a mix of gloom and happiness. She brought her other hand to her head, appearing to be in pain, despite how she tried to mask it.

"Please?" she asked Arya. "I can't think straight anymore, my head is pounding too much..."

Arya closed her eyes for a moment and then said, "Murtagh, there is a possibility you will be a father in 8 to 9 months."

Memories flashed through Murtagh's mind of his younger childhood with his father. The paranoia, the fear, the threats, his scar...

"You're not Morzan," Darcie cut into his thoughts, well aware of what they were. "You are your own man; you can choose your life. You'll be a great father, a true parent, and I... know it," she finished quietly as she saw Murtagh pass out again.


	19. Sunrise with Kazryth

_**I apologize that there isn't much in this chapter. I mean, it's like... it's more quiet, not as pushing the story forward unlike the next chapter ;) (The title for the next chapter is Growing Treachery, enough said).**_

Darcie woke to an empty feeling in her stomach and her head throbbing. She sat up and groaned as she rubbed her eyes, a minute hadn't passed and she already felt horrible.

Getting out of bed, she changed into her day's clothes and slowly walked down the path in the camp. The sky held faint sunlight despite the sun being over the horizon, clouds appeared to be mixed with a pink and orange.

Pushing open the door to the castle quietly, she made her way to the kitchens. Knowing the servants started breakfast at early hours of the morning, she could only hope they would have some sort of food to give her. Within moments, she was handed a basket of fresh fruits and sent off. She walked around the castle to the back building, eating an apple along the way. Once she finished it, she put the core back inside the basket, unsure of where to put it other than the ground.

She stopped in front of the human-sized door and put her basket down. Opening the door a crack, she saw Kazryth up and stretching. He looked towards the door and saw her.

_Good morning._

_Did I wake you?_

_I awoke when you did. I was planning on going out for a morning flight before the sun reaches its full potential. Would you like to come?_

_Sure. Can I bring my breakfast with me?_

Kazryth hummed in response. He walked around Thorn and Saphira, who still slept, and opened the door carefully.

_Don't you break that thing down daily?_

_Not with the other two still asleep._ The main door creaked open entirely and Kazryth walked out. Once closing the door behind him, he waited. Once Darcie found the saddle that she had taken off weeks before, she struggled to get it up to Kazryth's back.

_I'm going to end up keeping that thing on day and night! _she exclaimed once she threw it up and onto Kazryth's back with the help of magic. She the pulled herself up onto his back and into the saddle. Once on, she got the fruit basket up and onto her lap. She held onto it with a tight grip, and then Kazryth took off.

After a long while, Kazryth found a sand dune that was the size of a large hill just outside of Aberon. He landed, let Darcie off, and then walked around to find a place to stand. After a few moments, he dug out part of the land dune and moved around like a dog would until he was comfortable enough to lie down and watch the sun rise. Darcie sat next to him, looking out towards the dot of a city and beyond at the rising sun, occasionally taking a bite out of whichever fruit she had in her hand.

_Is it true Rider Murtagh cracked his skull? _Kazryth asked, trying to break the early morning silence.

_Nearly. He just fainted and hit my desk._

_Why did he faint?_

_Because he was apparently __that__ shocked I'm pregnant with his child._

She knew Kazryth wanted to respond, but for once he didn't know how to.

"Why me? And why _now_...?" Darcie thought out loud as she fell back into the sand and looked up at the sky. She saw the faint clouds and wished she were one, floating along with the others, looking down and watching the misfortunes of others. All she would and could carry is water, not life.

The sky suddenly illuminated as a tear trickled down Darcie's cheek and disappeared into the sand. Sitting up slightly, she saw a sliver of the sun sitting on the horizon.

_A battle rages in your heart, little one._

Darcie smiled faintly.

"I don't know what to believe anymore... things have changed within the past few months. Just less than a year ago I was a girl imprisoned in her own room, now I'm in Surda, ready to fight and destroy everything I've ever known. Of course, now I have sickness to add onto that."

_It isn't sickness you have._

"I throw up every morning at least once, and as the days pass I feel more and more lethargic. I swear if it wasn't for you I would be as good as dead."

_Your worries shall pass when your 'curse' comes to the world._

"I've heard so many stories about the horrors of labour... It's a wonder women make it out alive, yet most of the time they don't. I've begun to count the days that I fear I die."

_I won't let you die._

Darcie wiped away another tear with a smile. She had figured the sun rose over the horizon quickly - she could already see half of it.

"So how do things fare with Saphira?"

_Rather well._

"Do you wish to elaborate?"

_There isn't much to elaborate just yet, and some things are better left unsaid and in the privacy of themselves._

"That's funny, coming from you."

_Hey! _Kazryth lightly nudged Darcie's side.

"I only say it because it's true," Darcie said with a smirk.

Kazryth blew smoke from his nostrils and made a series of smoke rings, one way Darcie learned that he was rolling his eyes without technically doing so. He hummed contentedly as the sun rose higher until it was fully over the horizon.

_Do you wish to leave?_

"If you want to leave, I will follow," Darcie responded with a shrug.

_Well if you're really sure..._

Darcie squealed as Kazryth grabbed the back of her shirt and dropped her carefully into the saddle. With his talons, he grabbed the half-full basket of fruit and flew off, the dot of a city rapidly growing bigger as he sped closer.


	20. Growing Treachery

"No," Murtagh said flatly, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Come on, _you _were pushing me to train, and now that I _ask_ you say no?" Darcie pointed out with an expression as flat as Murtagh's response had been.

"Well I didn't know..."

"Neither did I, yet it didn't stop you from telling me to start using the _sword_. I need to be able to at least beat you once before going into battle."

"Considering the sightings of Galbatorix's army being close and getting closer, you might be waiting for that chance to go into battle."

Darcie's mouth dropped slightly. "How close are they?" she asked curiously.

"A fortnight."

"I can learn a lot more within a fortnight."

"You're not going into battle this time."

"That's not fair! You gave me a lecture on why I need to be in training, and now that I have usefulness for it you're telling me I can't?"

"Things have changed," Murtagh responded after a moment.

"I noticed," Darcie snarled. "Just because of one little thing getting in the way..."

"_Little_?!"

"_Don't_blame this on me. You couldn't control yourself in the first place," Darcie snapped indignantly, crossing her arms across her chest.

"You didn't stop it."

"I didn't start it!"

"Technically you did."

"You _continued_ it! I'm trying not to be a bother like I used to be with training, but now that you're refusing..."

"For a good reason," Murtagh cut in, which won him a cold glare from Darcie.

"Teach me more or else."

"You're trying to force me to train you?" Murtagh asked, scoffing.

"You offered to do so in the first place!"

Murtagh was silent; it was true. Back in Urû'baen, Galbatorix had been looking for someone to train Darcie just shortly after Kazryth hatched. Murtagh offered, hoping to get to know the beautiful, mysterious girl who appeared to have come out of nowhere.

"Well you can't be trained now."

"It didn't stop you before."

"We're not getting into the same argument again," Murtagh responded simply. "I'm not training you now, and that's that. It's _not_ _only _that you're pregnant, it's that you're still sick."

"From being pregnant," Darcie pointed out.

"Exactly."

Darcie was about to yell, but she thought better. Her hard expression softened and she asked in a sweet yet quiet tone, "Please?"

Murtagh looked into her begging eyes and fought himself to stay in control of his decision. She brought his head down to hers and gave him a soft, yet slow, kiss. As he started to open his mouth and bring her closer, she pulled away, her forehead leaning against his, and smiled with hope behind her warmth.

"No."

Darcie scowled and pulled out of his grasp. She looked around on the ground and picked up a large, round rock. Murtagh backed away a few steps warily. He watched Darcie's knuckles grow pure white from her grip upon the stone. Moments later, she hurled it to the ground and stormed off. She stormed angrily down the paths and nearly ran into Eragon, who was coming in the opposite direction.

"Watch where you're going," he snapped.

"Sorry," Darcie snapped back in a sarcastic tone. She walked around him and then stopped when a realization hit her. Turning around, she called out, "Hey, Eragon!"

The elf-boy, as she called him, stopped and turned around.

"What?"

"Do you have any spare time?"

He was silent for a moment, and then responded mysteriously, "Maybe... Why do you ask?"

Darcie blushed slightly. "Do you think you could help me train? Murtagh refuses to continue doing so."

"He refuses for a sensible reason."

"Not even in magic."

"He made it clear he knows more and is more powerful than I am," Eragon spat, the memory of his battle against Murtagh on the Burning Plains many months before.

"But he got me working with my sword after using a stick for months. I still need to learn how to at least control it properly," she pointed out.

"Well you can learn after..."

"How can I defend myself against a sword with a stick? I'd be dead before even making a good hit. Now look, can't you just put any hatred of me away for like, an hour or two of the day to teach me how to use a sword properly?"

"It's not any feelings that are holding me back."

"It's your fear of your 'big brother hurting you' isn't it?" Darcie mocked, a smirk growing.

"No it's not!" Despite Eragon's attempts to resist blushing, his ears went read.

"It is!" Darcie realized. She let out a single laugh in spite of her effort to not do so. "Oh, come on! I know when he visits Thorn and whenever he does, he never hangs around the area with Kazryth and Saphira. He wouldn't know."

"Which makes it even worse," Eragon pointed out in a flat tone.

"Do you even know how to block your mind from him?"

"Of course!" Eragon snapped back indignantly.

"Well then do that for an hour or two of the day and there are no worries."

"But..."

"Please?" Darcie asked, giving her best begging look.

Eragon sighed. Even with his mind being guarded, she seemed to know his fears, worries, and overall feelings. It was true; he greatly feared Murtagh would kill him if something happened to Darcie while training, let alone if he found out what was going on.

"I don't even know you that well..."

"You could get to know me while training me," Darcie pointed out with a growing smile.

"Or what you know..."

"You could figure that out while training me," Darcie cut in again.

"And how much..."

"Again..."

"I could figure it out while training, yes I know," Eragon snapped. "And truthfully, Murtagh _would_ kill me if I defied him like this."

"You're afraid of the man that showed you mercy in battle?"

Eragon's jaw clenched.

"But if he didn't he would've killed you, correct?" Darcie continued. "Or are you too stubborn to admit it? I wasn't there, but I know the story. Truthfully, the day you fought Murtagh was the day I was released from my prison of a room."

Eragon shrugged.

"I'll stop bugging you about this if you just teach me until further notice."

"Which will be how long?"

"Until I'm either too sick or too fat. Either-or really."

Eragon bit the inside of his lip in thought. After five silent minutes, he looked up at Darcie's expectant face and sighed.

"When does Murtagh leave with Thorn?"


	21. Training With Eragon

_**Haha, sorry for not updating in forever, I forgot. Life is all 'new school travelling options!' for me now and there've been too many meetings about 'em... and yeah, that's my life. Anyways...  
**_

_**Yeah, this isn't much of a chapter... compared to chapter 22 ) I'll try to remember to update sooner (like, 2 days for chapter 22 or something, I dunno). And this chapter's title doesn't make much out of the actual chapter itself... I was stuck on a name.**_

_**P.S: Just a note, this is a kinda long F.F and you might think it lost its relevance, but it does have an ending. There is more than one major battle, one is coming up soon but another makes the ending of the story, and it takes a life. So yeah, there is an ending to this and a short one-shot sequel which I may or may not post. Probably will be the last possible chapter instead of a new thing altogether (so that'd make this story... 39 chapters, 38 without the sequel. Yep, long but there are ups and downs with the story).**_

_**Anyways, enjoy this short chapter. I'll update quicker next time, I swear!**_

* * *

At sunset, later that day, Darcie planned to meet Eragon in the back building of the castle. She opened the human-sized door quietly and stepped through. She noticed Thorn was gone with Murtagh, and took another step into the large room. 

"So how long do we have roughly?"

Darcie jumped; she didn't see Eragon inside already.

"Until the only light left in the sky are the stars."

_I still think it is unwise to go against Murtagh's wishes_, Saphira said. She stood in a dark corner, looking at Darcie with dark, pensive eyes.

"I have my own life and follow what I want. It's not like I'm married," Darcie pointed out.

_Yet,_ Saphira responded mysteriously.

"Wha...?"

_I agree with Saphira - you might hurt yourself, _Kazryth inputted, cutting Darcie off.

"You're supposed to be on my side!"

_I have my own opinions._

"You will always agree with Saphira," Darcie snapped, glaring at her dragon.

_And for a good reason, _Saphira injected with a remotely sarcastic tone as she picked out the dirt under her talons.

Eragon chuckled. It was the first time Darcie had even seen him do so; whenever she came to visit Kazryth, Eragon wasn't there. She was about to snap back a comment, but thought better and changed the subject.

"So neither of you will tell Thorn or Murtagh?" Darcie asked the two dragons.

_Oh, a secret now? It's been awhile since I've had to keep one,_ Saphira said with a smile that revealed all of her large, white teeth.

"Well you're keeping one now, right?" Darcie asked.

_I'm not so sure... _Saphira's 'smile' dropped quickly.

"If not for Darcie, can you keep this a secret for me?" Eragon asked, turning to face her.

Darcie was surprised at what he said.

_Alright then._ There was a discouraged tone in her voice, but she said nothing more.

"So how long have you been training with a sword?"

"A fortnight at least," Darcie responded, blushing slightly.

"And with sticks?"

"I've lost track of the months. Probably half a year at most."

Eragon chuckled and shook his head. He then pulled out a sword from his sheath; it was a dark sapphire blue that matched Saphira's scales. He muttered a spell, but nothing appeared to be different.

"Can I see your sword?"

Darcie drew her sword from her side.

"Just throw it, I'll catch it."

"If it cuts your hand..."

"Just throw it," Eragon repeated more impatiently. Darcie sighed and threw it to Eragon. He caught it by the hilt easily and muttered the same spell.

"Don't throw it back," Darcie said hastily.

Eragon shrugged and walked up to Darcie and handed the sword back to her. She looked at it closely.

"You blunted the edges, correct?"

Eragon nodded as if it was obviously.

"Now let's see what you know."

Eragon lunged and the two were locked in battle. After twenty seconds, Darcie was on the ground.

"A fair bit, apparently." Eragon removed his blunted sword from Darcie's neck.

Darcie got to her feet. It took her a moment to recover; her vision went blurry and black from getting up too fast. She quickly thought back on what Eragon had done and how to block the moves. She also noticed he was a bit slower to go through forms while fighting compared to Murtagh.

After two hours of talking and practicing, they heard the sound of Thorn returning. The two quickly sheathed their swords and went up to their dragons, who watched the practice, and acted as though nothing happened. Once Thorn landed in the building, Darcie yawned and said to Kazryth, "Well I'll see you tomorrow." She hugged Kazryth's leg, since it was closest to her, and walked away before another was said.


	22. A Conversation With Kazryth

_**Gah, I told some people the next update is more interesting...**_

_**I'm thinking of the chapter AFTER this one! Sorry, I'll update **__**tomorrow**__**. I'm only really keeping this chapter because of was Kazryth has to say (even though it isn't all that much, I know). If it wasn't for that, I'd totally cut it out... so yeah, tomorrow! Promise )  
**_

The next day, Darcie avoided Murtagh. She knew he followed her at one point in the day, but she managed to outsmart him and get out of his sight. She wasn't up for any of his games; a day of quiet was what she was after and yet that small thing seemed impossible.

Getting into the library inside the castle, she went to the back of the room and behind many shelves. Pulling a book off one of the shelves, she found a comfortable chair in the far corner and read. She read the book for hours, only stopping when she finished it. As she put the book back on the shelf, the aroma of food was strong.

She left the library and entered the dining room and found it empty. The only inhabitants of the room were the food that lined the table. Unsurely, she moved forward and filled a plate. When nothing was said, she kept piling the food onto her plate and then left the dining room with it. She then walked into her tent and ate in silence.

_How do you fare? _Kazryth's voice came into her mind.

_Horribly, but that's not new._

_What's wrong? _Kazryth sounded curious yet worried.

_I've been trying to avoid someone that can't take a hint._

_Murtagh means well..._

_He's been __stalking__ me!_

Kazryth was silent. Just as Darcie was about to say something, the dragon cut in and said, _He probably wishes to talk. Give him a chance and he might prove himself._

_That's funny, coming from you._

_I know I was quick to judge back then, but I was young. As we traveled I began to realize... he isn't his father._

_It took you that long to realize it?_

_I know what his father did, I know Za'roc. The sword is infamous for its deeds, so don't blame me if I was quick to judge._

_Eragon carried Za'roc before Murtagh, yet you didn't seem to have a problem with him._ Darcie had found how Murtagh had gotten Za'roc on the trip to Surda.

_Eragon did not know his father until recently; he was raised completely differently compared to Murtagh._

_So you admit to jumping to conclusions now?_

_No, I am merely pointing out Eragon had a different life, a more __trustworthy__ life. While he worked to live, only knowing his mother had left him with his previous uncle and aunt, and Roran. His life was just as hard as Murtagh's, but in different ways. Eragon had a family life out in a small town in the valley; Murtagh grew up with the last of the last of the Forsworn and king, both treacherous._

_You're still saying you jumped to conclusions because of Murtagh's past._

_He deserves another chance _Kazryth said, attempting to change the subject.

_Because of his past, right? _Darcie scoffed.

_No, because he does mean well. He is trying to help, yet in your perspective he is being a bother. Listen to what he has to say; what's on his mind. You might just understand where he is coming from._

It was then that Kazryth cut off their connection. Darcie tried to get past and respond, but his barricade was too strong.

"Damn it..."

_I heard that._

Before Darcie could reply, Kazryth cut the connection again. Then, in the distance, the sound of the wind being sliced by a large creature hit her ears. She could only assume either Kazryth or one of the others was flying off.

She thought about what Kazryth had said and was well aware it was true, but she didn't want to admit it, especially not to Murtagh.


	23. Murtagh Finds Out

_**Here**__** is the interesting chapter. Title says it all...**_

_**Well half of it is interesting. After that... it depends on your definition of interesting. I tried at least, and I edited as much as I could, adding and taking out a few things (like taking advice about the describe-emotions-more-than-mundane-things... sadly enough I had to look up what 'mundane' was and then I got it. Lol. But yeah, I do try to take advice as long as it isn't just about going on with swears saying how this story sucks kind of thing).**_

_**So yeah, enjoy a finally interesting chapter, and tell meh what ya think )**_

_**P.S: Sorry I didn't update yesterday, I tried! The Documents wouldn't upload this, it'd take like, an hour for it to load and when it did it said the 'connection was lost'. I tried for half the day with no success. But yeah, it's here now xD**_

* * *

A week had passed, and Darcie still trained with Eragon. She had gotten to know him quite well and found she had a fair amount in common with him. They had grown to a mutual understanding over the short amount of time they had been practicing together. With the week gone as well, Darcie was now more experienced with the sword and even won a round against Eragon. Naturally, he claimed it was 'beginner's luck', but both of them knew Darcie was getting better at handling the sword.

------------------------

"Murtagh seems off. Has something happened?" Eragon asked as he removed his sword from Darcie's side. Kazryth and Saphira took off as he blunted his sword.

"Well I haven't really spoken with him throughout the week, so I wouldn't know."

"Maybe it is because you haven't spoken to him throughout the week," Eragon pointed out with an obvious tone.

"Well there you go - problem solved."

"Why haven't you spoken with him?" he asked as he fixed Darcie's grip on her sword.

"It's... it's that protective drive that's making him tell me I can't train. I haven't spoken with him since that day."

"You should." Eragon quickly jumped into a battle between him and Darcie. After a minute of transitions and forms, he found himself on the ground with Darcie's blunted blade on his neck.

"But I don't have to," she responded as she removed her blade.

"Things won't be as odd if you did," Eragon replied as he started to show Darcie a new transition.

"Who said it was odd?" Darcie asked as she repeated the same transition as slow as Eragon had.

"Well you're implying it."

"The following is more awkward than anything, but that hasn't happened much."

As they locked into battle again, the sound of a series of soft thuds interrupted their battle. Darcie tried to ignore it, but she faltered and accidentally dropped her sword onto Eragon's foot. It bounced off and landed on the ground next to him. Eragon's sword also fell onto the same foot and landed right next to Darcie's. The two both turned to the front of the building and saw Murtagh standing next to Thorn. One look at him made it clear he was seething, despite how he hid it.

"Please continue, you two appear to be doing well," Murtagh said coldly. They could see the fury hidden behind his mysterious mask.

"Look..." Darcie started to say.

"I knew something was up, and I'm thankful what I had in mind isn't it. But _you_," Murtagh turned to Eragon. "You know bloody damn well that she isn't supposed to be training!"

"It's my choice if I want to train!" Darcie butted in indignantly as she picked up her sword. She muttered a spell and the sides were no longer blunted.

"I'm trying to help you! Do you even realize how sick you really are? Training and battling is only going to make it worse," Murtagh snapped, his anger sizzling in the glare he aimed at Darcie.

"It keeps me _healthy_, fit; working. I'm not going to sit in bed all day, letting it get worse! Physical activity helps and you were taking it away from me. You made me go to Eragon because of it, and it's turned out better than I thought anyways. I can actually get along with him now."

Murtagh turned his hard glare to Eragon.

"It's true," was all Eragon responded, shrugging.

"You've been training for a week, correct?"

Eragon was silent.

"You've been training for a week, is that correct?" Murtagh snarled.

"Yes, one week! What's the problem with it?"

"And how long have _you _been in training with a sword?"

Eragon was taken aback, but responded, "A few years by now."

"Let's see how much you know." Murtagh pulled Za'roc from its sheath.

Eragon picked up his sword, quickly muttered a reverse blunting spell and just narrowly missed getting swiped in the side. He followed Murtagh's forms, always just barely blocking his brother's attacks in time. After a few minutes, a third sword came in and hit Murtagh in the stomach with the flat side of the sword, and was sent stumbling backwards. Eragon was braced for the same thing to happen, but nothing did.

"Don't fight about my choices!" she yelled. She spun to face a dazed and stunned Murtagh. "It's not like Eragon _offered_, I practically demanded it! If it wasn't for me he wouldn't be here right now for this reason. There's no need to waste your time and energy about something I got him to do, so if you want to fight the problem, you should be fighting me, not Eragon.

"And either way, I _need_ some sort of physical activity. And you know what? Because of training, I haven't been as sick as they all say I should be. If I just sat around like a lazy ass, I would be twice as worse, but because you forced me to go to someone else with my training problem, I'm not as bad. Because of Eragon, I'm not as sick as I should be, so don't try and kill him for helping me!"

Darcie stormed out of the building, muttering incoherently and sheathing her sword once outside.

Eragon and Murtagh watched Darcie slam the door as she left. Murtagh then spun around to glare at Eragon.

"Don't blame me for this," Eragon said defensively, watching Za'roc warily. He let out a breath when Murtagh sheathed the sword. Eragon then put his sword away.

"It is your fault, you let her get to you enough to fall for her trap," Murtagh snapped back.

"She deserves to be trained. How would you like to her be killed because you neglected to continue because of one setback?"

"Don't turn this back on me!" Murtagh yelled, seething.

"It is your fault!" Eragon retorted back defensively.

"I'm not the one that went behind my own brother's back."

"Yet I'm not the one that told Darcie she can't train _just_ because she's pregnant. If it wasn't for you, she wouldn't be in this mess!" Eragon yelled back, starting to loose his patience.

Murtagh, now very infuriated, started to open his mouth to respond, but three loud roars cut him off; the two stumbled away, nearly swept off their feet.

_Would you two stop quarreling for one moment to realize you're __both__ at fault? _Kazryth snapped.

"But..."

_He's right, you two_ Thorn said.

_Just listen to each other instead of bickering about it. Then you might get somewhere, _Saphira added before Thorn could.

_Could you not cut me off? _Thorn asked slowly.

_You were going to say the same thing either way _Saphira responded dismissively.

Murtagh's irate glare still lay on Eragon. Kazryth nudged Murtagh closer to Eragon.

_Talk._

"You wouldn't understand, _little brother_," Murtagh said after a moment, emphasizing the last two words with venom.

"What makes you think I don't understand? You don't even know me anymore, and frankly, I don't want to know who you are anymore."

_Eragon!_ Saphira exclaimed. Thorn growled warningly at the younger dragon rider.

"You've never truly known me," Murtagh responded in a dark tone. "You would never understand, and despite you knowing my life's story, you never _fully_ comprehended any true horrors of Urû'baen and its past, and current, riders. So don't tell me you don't know me, because you do, but you just don't understand. There's a significant difference."

"I understand clearly; it's _you_ that doesn't know me. You try living in a village that knows everything. My uncle was _killed_ because of the people you associate with..."

"I don't associate with them!" Murtagh yelled, cutting Eragon off. He was astounded Eragon even thought that. "I used to because I _had no choice_! You at least had true parents that cared about you. Me? I just got in the way... I was just _there_! I was never wanted or loved the way you were. You had a family, a true family that cared about you and looked after you. Yes, I was looked after, but it was by servants that were told to. If you don't even have the slightest idea what my life is like, I'm not even going to waste your time describing it!"

Murtagh spun around, ready to storm off, but Thorn landed in front of him and roared in his face.

_Give him a chance._

_Get out of my way._ As much as it wasn't Thorn's fault, Murtagh's anger turned onto the dragon.

_I will when you give Eragon a chance. Listen to him before jumping to conclusions._

_Thorn..._

The dragon growled warningly. Murtagh rolled his eyes, yet gave in and turned around to face Eragon with a hard glare, and crossing his arms across his chest impatiently. Eragon was silent and just looked back.

"Well?" Murtagh demanded.

"Well what...?"

"What's your side of this? What happened in the way you see it?"

Eragon seemed somewhat surprised, but he hid it well.

"A week ago Darcie ran into me. I rather rudely told her to watch where she was going, and as I walked away, she called after me. Surprised, yet annoyed, I stopped and turned around. She asked me if I had any spare time, so I said I did. She asked if I could train her since you refused, and I said you have a sensible reason. She then she said that she had just started working with a sword, and for months she was working with a stick... to make a long story short she pestered me, saying she knows when you're not in this place and I finally gave in.

"She knows a fair bit and can learn a lot in a short amount of time. I see her point that she should be training despite a minor setback; if she wasn't, she would be in bed with a fever and practically dying. That's why I've taken your place temporarily, because Darcie has a right to learn and it's a good choice that she's trying to keep up with it.

"Now what's _your_ side to this story?" Eragon had his arms crossed as well and glaring back at Murtagh.

"Let me guess - why did I refuse to continue training? Training is straining and hard work. When I refused, Darcie was much worse than she is now; pale, throwing up once, twice, sometimes even three times a day. At one point she was even hallucinating. Why would I push her limits when she was already crabby about training to begin with? She complained, she whined about every little thing. It got worse throughout the month and I finally found out why. Then she just got worse..."

"Didn't you even know physical activity helps when you're sick?" Eragon asked skeptically.

"I knew that," Murtagh snapped indignantly. "I know how sick women can get at this point, and it only gets worse."

There was a silence between the two for a short while. The vexed air between the two had finally subsided enough for everyone to feel calm.

"She's probably mad at you for forcing her to stop training," Eragon commented quietly, trying to break the awkward silence.

"I figured," Murtagh responded in a petulant, yet quiet, tone.

_Go and apologize then _Thorn said.

_Like she'd forgive me_.

_You won't know until you do. But before apologizing to Darcie, apologize to Eragon _Saphira added.

"Either way we're at fault, so..."

Saphira growled menacingly, cutting off Eragon's excuse.

"Sorry," Eragon said.

"Sorry for attacking you."

Saphira growled again. Murtagh sighed and rolled his eyes.

"And sorry for jumping to conclusions."

"And when did you notice anything different?"

"Four days ago. I could tell Darcie was following me at a far distance, and that continued. And of course I always found you in here..."

"You thought we were having an affair?" Eragon laughed. His leaned over and had his hands on his knees to support him because he was laughing so hard. Never in the week he truly gotten to know her did he even imagine such a ridiculous thought.

"Don't push it," Murtagh growled. Eragon got one last laugh and then stopped.

_Now go and apologize to Darcie _Thorn told Murtagh.


	24. Saphira's Surprise

_**Ha, well, I did try at a chapter with Murtagh's apology but I got stuck...**_

_**So instead I summed it up and put in something else that does end up being important in the end of this story. This is a kind of short chapter yet I'm updating this after nearly a month of nothing...**_

_**OMG, I'm SO SORRY about not updating in forever! Almost a month... well things have been crazy, and like, two weeks ago I told myself I would update the next day, but that went on for a week and then I forgot. I'll update again in about two days, and it will be a better, longer update. So until then, enjoy this one xD**_

_**P.S: Thanks for reminding me EragonPeep, I for some stupid reason said the colour in chapter 29 and not here, so I switched it over to here. Must've been early morning when I wrote this and chapter 29 or something and I didn't think about it as I was updating or something... and as for how I described the colour, I had to think about grammar usage so if I'm wrong (which I'm sure I am), could you say what it should be? (because 'brightly shining' doesn't sound all that great, but 'brightly shone' seems just as awkward. Or is it that I need another comma... gah, whatever, if someone knows, say what it should be please ) It's been years since I've been in such a tough spot grammatically... 0o). Until it's fixed, it'll just sound weird. **_

* * *

For the rest of the week, Darcie went back to training with Murtagh upon his apology and explanation... and a few choice words from herself. Things had started to go smoothly between them again, almost as if nothing had happened. As the days passed by, there were more watchmen coming and going with news about the location of Galbatorix's army, and more of the people were getting ready for the battle they didn't know when would happen. 

As the days drew closer, Darcie was haunted by premonitions - or dreams, she wasn't really sure anymore - of Murtagh's and Eragon's deaths. The day before an entire fortnight passed when Darcie asked about the army of the Empire's distance from the Burning Plains, a surprise came to everyone.

----

"IN THE NAME OF ALL GODS, LADY NASUADA!"

Eragon came running around the castle and went inside. People started forming around the front entrance of the castle curiously, wondering what shocked Eragon so. Darcie has seen the crowd and walked forwards curiously and stood just behind the large crowd that just seemed to be growing.

"What's going on?"

Darcie looked over her shoulder and saw Murtagh.

"Eragon ran into the castle screaming 'in the name of all gods'..."

"Well you don't see that every day," Murtagh cut in with a shrug.

Darcie smiled and looked back at the door that had been flung open. Guards walked out and pushed the crowds back. As Eragon walked behind King Orrin and Lady Nasuada, he noticed Darcie's light blonde hair behind the mess of people. He beckoned her and Murtagh, and they ran up to him and followed.

"What's going on?" Darcie asked.

"It's... you won't believe me if I tell you, but you'll be shocked!"

They were now running to keep up with Orrin and Nasuada. They rounded the corner and went into the building where they found Kazryth and Saphira. In Saphira's talons was a large, oval...

"An egg?!" Darcie wobbled on the spot, nearly fainting in shock.

Nasuada stood in front of Saphira, unsure as to if she should get near. Orrin walked ahead, but a growl from Saphira stopped him. She managed to walk around Orrin and to Nasuada. She held out the egg to the leader of the Varden. Darcie looked at it, amazed. It was such a beautiful colour. It was the colour of gleaming white, the kind you would see in brightly shone grey-white necklaces. After a moment of thought, Darcie recalled the name as silver. The white veins of the egg were hardly noticed because of the shimmering silver of the shell.

_Take her _Saphira said.

"It's a female?" Nasuada asked. Saphira hummed in response as she carefully passed the egg to Nasuada, who took it with great care.

Darcie looked at Kazryth with a bright smile.

_This is great - you're technically a father now._

_**Technically**__ not until she hatches._

_It's like saying I'm not going to be a mother until I have my baby._

_Baby?_ It was as if Kazryth had never heard the word before.

_You know, a 'little one', small child..._

_You might want to think about that._

_How so?_

_You'll see..._

"This is great news! We are eternally thankful, great dragon," Orrin said. Saphira merely hummed in response.

"We should show this to the people," Nasuada said.

Darcie chuckled when she saw Eragon's awed expression. He had been speechless the entire time, probably shocked at the fact his dragon had done such a thing with Kazryth and not even telling him; it was an unlikely thing that Saphira would do after all. As they walked away, Eragon stood where he was before.

"Coming?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah..."

The two caught up with the others and made it to the front of the castle just in time to hear the choruses of cheers about the news.

_Come on, tell me what you mean! _Darcie begged.

_You will see, little one. Be patient and you will understand._

_But..._

_I apologize, but I cannot tell you._

_Cannot or will not?_

_Will not_

Darcie grumbled, but didn't question it anymore.


	25. Darcie's Final Premonition

_**Jumped ahead a couple months. Couldn't have this dragging on too long after all. Longer update, enjoy.**_

* * *

The next few weeks passed in silence. There was no word of Galbatorix's army, which made the Varden even more fearful and suspicious. They were all ready to go to battle at a moment's notice, but nothing ever came.

Weeks turned into months, and those months closed in on Darcie. On the first day of plants and animals returning, Darcie went into labour. She had learned what Kazryth was implying by 'you might want to think about that' when she said 'a little one' months before; she had the rare surprise of giving birth to twins! - A girl, Aryana, and a boy, Reagan. Reagan had noticeable dark brown hair the same shade as Murtagh's, but Aryana seemed to have a light chestnut colour and the same aquamarine eyes of Darcie, while Reagan seemed to have hazel eyes.

Within a month and a half of their birth, the dreaded day everyone had been anticipating for near a year came - Galbatorix's army appeared to be outside the Burning Plains. Premonitions, or dreams - Darcie wasn't sure anymore - of the deaths of Murtagh and Eragon haunted her nights days before the news of battle approaching and the night before.

-----

Darcie shot up from her sleep, sweat shining clearly on her face. She was unsure as to if it was from the sun or another 'dream' of Murtagh's death. Tears from her sleep mixed with her sweat and dripped onto her 'blanket', which was really just a light sheet on top of her. The sound of baby grumbling got her out of bed instead of a roll onto the ground.

She walked up to the two baskets on the other end of the tent and saw Aryana still sleeping, but appearing as if she was about to cry at a moment's notice. Darcie watched this for a few moments worriedly, but then saw the girl's beautiful, light blue eyes appear. Aryana let out a long 'ah' noise, which woke Reagan, who was just a matter of feet next to her.

He whimpered, and Darcie picked him up before he decided to scream, which was what he did before crying. She held him close, one hand supporting his bottom and the other holding his head, which was tilted so one ear was against Darcie. He was suddenly quiet, and a light nasally breath broke the silence - Reagan had fallen asleep.

Darcie sensed another presence. Looking to her right, she saw a weary Murtagh standing in front of the half-open tent flap.

"Didn't sleep well?" she whispered as Murtagh pulled the flap closed and went up to her.

"I doubt I got any. What about you?" He came up behind Darcie and wrapped his arms around her and under the sleeping Reagan, pulling her closer.

"I fell asleep against my will," she responded, still quiet as to not wake the baby in her arms. "Sleep is a devil - I feel as if I haven't gotten any at all."

"Nightmares?"

"Or premonitions - I'm not sure anymore!"

Her outburst woke Reagan. He whimpered, and then started to cry, skipping his screaming. Not truly able to think about what to do, Darcie lightly pat his lower back, but his crying just got louder. She then tried to lightly bounce him, but that didn't work either. Her tears joined his as she kept trying to shush him.

Murtagh let go of Darcie and carefully took Reagan from her. As soon as he took the baby boy, he wasn't as vocal. A faint blue light came from Murtagh's hand, and Reagan was sleeping contentedly. He then put Reagan back into his crib.

"Are you ok?" he asked, his tone mixed with curiosity and hesitation

"I'm... I'm fine, really..." Darcie turned around and wiped away her tears.

"What'd you see?" Murtagh asked lightly, following her slightly.

"It's all the same now... the battle, the..."

The area around Darcie seemed to go black suddenly. It lasted only a moment, but then the Burning Plains came into view - she was there, Kazryth was there. The battles raged around them.

_I flew over the horizon well behind Murtagh and Eragon, trying to be inconspicuous. Of course, with a large green dragon, that's hard to do. Together, Kazryth and I flew over the divisions of Kull, Kazryth setting them ablaze with what I figured was his newfound fire-breathing abilities. We managed to burn an entire sector of Kull until I saw it - the black dot getting larger until it was noticeably Shruikan, my father on his back._

"_You can't run this time, you little wench!"_

_Kazryth flew away, trying to bide time for us to think. Within minutes, Kazryth went down with a ferocious roar of pain - Shruikan snapped at part of the fleshy membrane of his wings. Kazryth spiraled down until he landed on his side, throwing me off his back and into a pile of the dead._

"_Are you ok?" I mentally asked Kazryth._

"_I'll live... what about you?"_

"_I'm going to play dead. Of course, do the same unless father or Shruikan try to make sure of your 'death'."_

_Kazryth lay on his side, unmoving. In the pile of the dead, I did the same, breathing shallowly. I kept my eyes closed, sensing and hearing Galbatorix getting closer. I saw his shadow loom over me, but when I saw him pull out his sword, I sent a spell at him, causing him to fly into Shruikan's open mouth, which was ready to give the final blow to Kazryth. Instead of getting Kazryth, Shruikan got Galbatorix._

_The sound of bones crunching and the dying screams of a dragon echoed, but then diminished. I sat up slowly and sat her father in his dragon's mouth, bloodied and broken._

"_I... just killed... I just killed a mad-man... my father," I breathed. I definitely didn't plan on it being so fast, but heck, there's nothing to complain about it being so. I then say Kazryth getting up from his playing dead position, his bitten wing curled close._

"_You did well," Kazryth told her. I felt his pain from the bite he received to his wing._

"_How badly are you hurt?"_

"_I'll survive."_

_I heard a deathly roar in the distance. "Thorn!" I gasped. Turning to Kazryth, I asked, "I'm assuming you can't fly well."_

_Kazryth snorted in response._

"_Can you walk around with me on your back? I'll do my best to make sure no Kull or soldiers get your wing...s."_

_Kazryth merely hummed in response. I walked up to Kazryth and got into the saddle. As he walked on, the burning land and the aroma of death disappeared..._

"Darcie..."

She felt a cold fluid flow down her throat. Gagging it down, Darcie opened her eyes and saw Arya taking away a vial from her mouth.

"What did you see?" the elf woman asked her. Darcie panted for breath.

"Fa... Galbatorix and Shruikan... near-death..."

"Whom of?" Arya asked.

Darcie was about to respond, but she felt something push up her stomach and throat. She swung over to the other end of the bed and emptied anything that was left in her stomach from the previous night's meal. She choked out the gross aftertaste and spat it on the ground. She saw a glass in Arya's hand, and Darcie took it. She gulped most of the water, swished it around in her mouth and spat it onto the ground. Once the taste was gone, she drank the rest. As Darcie sat up, her body shuddered. As soon as she sat up, Murtagh came running back into the tent.

"What took so long?" Arya practically snapped. A look of slight remorse came to her pallid face as soon as the words left her mouth.

"My apologies for receiving news," Murtagh responded sarcastically. "But Galbatorix... his army, they're near the Burning Plains, just going over the last hill." He then looked at Darcie and asked, "And what happened?"

"She's had another premonition," Arya responded for Darcie.

"What of? The battle?"

Darcie nodded weakly. Murtagh came into the tent further, put his hand on her shoulder and a blue light came from his palm and entered Darcie. The cool sensation swept throughout her body and she suddenly felt much better.

"Thanks," she said. "And yes, it was the battle."

Murtagh found the chair near her desk and sat down next to the bed, ready to listen. As Darcie started to explain what she saw, the sound of a bugle blew. From the loud noise, the twins, who still lay in their cribs on the other end of the tent, started crying. Darcie covered her face wearily.

"I'll find one of the nurses to look after them," Arya said. "You best be getting ready."

Murtagh opened his mouth to object, but thought twice when he saw the look Darcie gave him.

"I know what I saw, and if I don't go to battle, you'll be short one rider and one dragon needed. I'm going out there whether you like it or not," Darcie told him hardly.

"Can you go and find Ophilea and Lydia and tell them to come to this tent and look after these two while they hide deep beneath the castle?" Arya asked.

Murtagh nodded curtly and left the tent, leaving Darcie to find and put on her armour with Arya's help, the sounds of metal clanging from men running down the paths between tents to fight what they all hoped was to be a final battle.


	26. The Battle

OMG, I am SO sorry for not updating in nearly two months! I'll post another post tomorrow and if I remember, another one the day after that to make up for it. Things have been crazy and since I finished this F.F ages ago, I do other stuff (mainly my other F.Fs – I'm mainly into Harry Potter-related ones) and forget about it as a result.

Anyways, the battle ;) Don't be so hasty to think about what happened in the end by the way. And I'm aware the outcome was different than Darcie's premonitions, but rather close. Some were more... foreboding, warning dreams.

LadyMalfoyx

* * *

The battle raged on, the scent of scorched, dead bodies suffocating all those fighting. As Murtagh and Eragon made haste and flew off into the horizon with Thorn and Saphira, Darcie waited. Kazryth pranced on the spot until she told him to go. He knew about what his rider had seen and it worried him deeply.

Flying into the stenches and sounds of combat, Darcie and Kazryth saw as one, and through this she saw the black dot fly over the horizon. Kazryth's sight locked onto the dot, allowing he and Darcie to get a clear view of Galbatorix laughing maniacally as Shruikan flew closer.

_Can you fly low?_

_I am flying low._

_Well... lower?_

_Not without wrecking all chances of flight for the rest of this battle and for days to come._

Darcie sighed and withdrew from Kazryth's conscious. He found a clearing on the plains and landed with a soft thud. Kull saw this as an opportunity and started coming towards the great green dragon, but with one exhale, Kazryth managed to take out the entire division, roaring in pain as the spear of a shockingly fast thinking Kull sliced an exposed part of his tail.

_We could take on the entire Empire's army if you keep that up._

_Now's not a good time for sarcasm._ Kazryth whipped his tail and took out the Empire's soldiers that were 'sneaking up' behind him.

Darcie merely rolled her eyes as she watched her father and his dragon fly in the opposite direction.

_Follow them._

Kazryth grudgingly took off and followed Shruikan until they found Thorn. Murtagh jumped onto the dragon's back and they flew off, trying to loose Galbatorix and the black dragon. Murtagh spun around on the saddle, pulled out his bow and aimed for the exposed part on the other dragon's head. He shot the arrow and it hit the metal just a millimetre below the exposed spot. Shruikan's deafening roar caused many of the footmen to stop their battles and cover their ears.

As the chase raged on, Shruikan slowly got closer to the smaller, red dragon until he was close enough to extend his neck and grab Thorn's tail. Having this thought in mind, Shruikan bit Thorn's tail, causing another angry, pained roar to echo across the plains. Shruikan let go and Thorn spiralled down to the earth and landing on a group of soldiers. An agonizing roar escaped him, a jet of fire coming out and burning another division of Kull and soldiers of the Empire, also accidentally killing some of the Surdans that were locked in battle.

Shruikan landed swiftly on any remaining Surdan soldiers in the area, crushing them instantly. Galbatorix jumped off his back. He went up to the dragon, but saw no rider in the saddle.

Kazryth, who was hovering many yards away, saw this as well. Darcie's eyes widened, but when she saw where Murtagh went, she let out a thankful breath. He crawled to Shruikan's side and behind the black dragon's foreleg.

"No..."

Murtagh stuck his sword in an exposed area behind Shruikan's right foreleg. Quickly retreating, Murtagh watched Shruikan fall, just narrowly missing him. Despite his attempts, the dragon couldn't swivel his head to snap at Murtagh.

Out of nowhere, a force pushed Murtagh backwards and into a rock.

_Can you land around here?_

Kazryth hummed and carefully dropped to the spot below him, just barely a hundred feet from where Murtagh lay.

"You stupid boy..." Darcie heard Galbatorix chide. "You're like your father - your arrogance is your downfall."

Darcie watched Murtagh get up.

"I am _not_ like my father!" Murtagh snarled. He let a spell loose, but Galbatorix countered it before it hit him.

"And I hear you've made a wench of my daughter. How..." a spell from Galbatorix hit Murtagh and flung him back into the rock. "Tragic. Now, shall I kill you slowly so you feel the pain you've caused me and my empire, or shall it be quick and easy?"

"Neither."

Galbatorix looked beyond Murtagh and saw Darcie nearing. He started laughed.

"What's a little girl like you doing out in a man's battle?" Galbatorix asked with a sinister tone.

"I'm a Rider, I deserve to be out here as much as you," Darcie snapped back. She noticed a scar ran from the corner of his right eye to just under his far left chin. "And you might want to save your dragon before he bleeds to death."

Galbatorix eyed her, and then Shruikan. As he did, a spell was let out from Darcie, and it hit Galbatorix. She swore it actually hit him for a moment, but it bounced off of him and hit Murtagh. He fell to the ground, writhing in agony.

"I have a better idea - why don't you kill the pathetic boy instead?"

"How about _not_!" Another spell escaped Darcie, but it merely bounced of Galbatorix and onto Murtagh. He appeared to be having a seizure at this point, his screams making it clear he was still conscious. Galbatorix laughed even harder.

"The more you try to attack me, the more you maim your 'love'," Galbatorix spat the last word.

Shruikan gave a small roar, sounding more like a squeak than anything.

"Like I said, you might want to save your bastard of a dragon."

Momentarily, Darcie saw through Kazryth's eyes. He was hidden at least fifty feet behind Galbatorix, sneaking up behind him slowly.

"You might've grown to like Shruikan if you hadn't have disobeyed orders."

"I would rather eat his dung than grow to like him!" Darcie yelled back at her father.

Before Galbatorix could respond, Kazryth opened his jaws and clamped them around Galbatorix, slowly crushing his bones. The king screamed in godforsaken, torturous agony.

"Now, would you rather be killed slowly so you feel how you've destroyed 'your' empire? Or shall it be quick and easy?" Darcie mimicked just as Kazryth finished him off. Shruikan's squealing roars had died away.

As soon as they did, Darcie ran up to Murtagh. His body was shuddering as he lay on his back. Darcie tried to think of any useful spell, but a grip around her hand stopped her. She looked into the dull, dark eyes of Murtagh.

"You said this would happen... let it happen..."

"No... not like this..." Tears escaped Darcie's eyes and fell until it landed on Murtagh's cheek. His body then shuddered once more, blood below him finally being revealed in a halo around him.

"Your back..."

Murtagh nodded jerkily, his face growing paler.

"You were saved once; you will be saved again..."

Thorn roared in agony as the pain from Murtagh increased. The red dragon shuddered, beginning to panic.

"I'm so sorry..." Murtagh's eyes closed slowly. As they did, Thorn fell.


	27. He's

The battle had finished the moment Galbatorix had been killed. When the soldiers retreated, Darcie told Kazryth to get Murtagh to the nearest healers. She got into Kazryth's saddle and got Murtagh up with the help from her dragon. Kazryth quickly flew to Aberon, leaving Thorn for the time being.

Upon landing in front of the castle, crowds of women and children came out of the castle warily. Darcie slid off of Kazryth and got Murtagh's body off as well. Out from the crowds came the female healers. Moments later, Saphira landed with Eragon and Arya on her back. Arya quickly jumped off when she saw Murtagh. Taking his body, she and the healers walked off.

"What happened?" Eragon asked as he slid off Saphira.

"It's all my fault..." Darcie's face was wet from tears, the dirt on her face only washed away by them. "I don't even know if... if..." A sob escaped Darcie, and Eragon embraced her close. She fell into him and leaned her forehead on the breastplate of his armour, her tears leaking down the metal.

After many minutes, Darcie had calmed down enough to tell Eragon what had happened. Just as he was about to ask how Murtagh was, Arya came out of the castle doors, appearing rather solemn. Darcie pulled away from Eragon and looked at the elf hopefully.

"He's..."

_**Is he dead? Did he survive? What happened to Thorn? o (think about that last question there btw). You'll find out in the next chapter. Because of this being such an evil cliffie, the next update will be a few days (week at most – not 2 months, I promise! xD)**_

**_P.S: The chapter title is technically 'He's...' but the site doesn't seem to like '...' very much. Oh well._**


	28. Thorn?

The sound of a soft thud broke into Arya's response. The crowds gasped, so Darcie and Eragon turned around. Thorn stood at least fifty feet away from Kazryth and Saphira, who had broken their thankful, welcoming cuddling to look at him. Wavering on the spot, Thorn stepped forward.

_Where is Murtagh?_

"The healers are currently working on him. The scar that rides from his shoulder to hip split open, so they are working on keeping enough blood inside of him to live."

"So he's alive?" Darcie asked hopefully.

"For the time being, yes."

Tears of joy sprung from Darcie's eyes, feeling as if the guilt has been washed away by immense relief. She had never felt so thankful before.

_And I wouldn't be here if he had passed _Thorn added.

"Once we have bound Murtagh's back together once more and made sure he is in resting condition, we will look after you," Arya told the dragon.

_Thank you._

Thorn then slowly walked away, everyone running backwards to make way for the stumbling dragon. He teetered around the corner and out of sight.

"And where are the twins?" Darcie asked.

Arya looked over her shoulder and beckoned two women out of the crowds. In their arms were Aryana and Reagan, curiously looking about. Darcie sighed, the toll of battle taking place upon her.

"Can you bring them to my tent?" she asked. The two women obliged and followed Darcie away from the castle, Kazryth, and the crowds where Eragon and Arya still stood.

_**Sorry this one is still short, but it answers the question you all wondered. (and doubted me on) – of course I wouldn't get rid of him! Yet... just kidding. Or am I...? xP **_

_**Anyways, hope you enjoyed this update, sorry I took longer than expected, I forgot (this site isn't the site I use commonly so I tend to push by it).**_


	29. Calling

_**Wow... sorry for not updating in forever. Half the reason was because I was debating whether I should continue this till the end because... well yeah, it's hard to explain. That and with the switch of semester the idiotic schedule maker put all my core subjects into one semester so I'm getting piles of homework.**_

_**Ha, it took me **__**forever**__** to write this chapter (that had nothing to do with the update time by the way). I got stuck and then just went on a hiatus of writing this for MONTHS... **__**that's why I ended it where it's at**__**, because was and am stuck after that in this chapter. So sorry for that lack of a longer update. Or an update with a good title... or an update that isn't all that interesting... I didn't want there to be nothing, so I thought of something at least. It kind of makes sense but doesn't (someone calling for someone else, like beckoning. That's what I mean in the title). I swear I will update within the week because this is a short chapter.**_

* * *

Days passed and Murtagh hadn't woken. The healers kept him in the castle in a large, private room. Darcie went to visit him almost always with the twins. She had found a cloth-woven carrier that she could use to put both babies in. She had strengthened it with magic and used it wherever she went if she needed to bring them.

As the days and weeks passed slowly, people kept going into the castle to see the dragon egg, and hope it would hatch for them. It came to the point where all the people of Aberon, the Varden, and even Nasuada and the King went to see it and it didn't hatch.

------

Darcie woke to the sounds of grumbling. Rubbing her eyes, she swung her legs over the bed and got up. She walked towards the basket cribs, not even needing to think, and looked into Reagan's crib. As soon as he saw Darcie, his arms went up and started attempting to arch his back. Darcie chuckled and picked him up. Cradling him close, Darcie bounced him and waited until he was deep asleep until she carefully put him down on her bed. When Reagan didn't stir, she changed into her day's clothes and put her hair up. As she finished, she heard Reagan grumbling as if ready to cry. Aryana joined in moments later.

"You two..." Darcie sighed.

"Good morning."

Darcie jumped at the sound of Arya's voice.

"Good mornin' to you too..."

"Murtagh wishes to see you."

It took Darcie a moment to realize what Arya had just told her.

"So he's..."

"Awake, yes," Arya finished.

Darcie left at a fast walk, forgetting about the twins for a moment. As soon as she remembered them, she turned back around. She saw Arya conversing with two women. When Darcie looked at them clearly, she realized they were the two that had Aryana and Reagan weeks ago during the battle. They entered Darcie's tent with Arya and came out with the two.

Darcie turned back around and made her way to the castle in half the time it would normally take. The guards pushed the doors open and Darcie walked through, Arya just behind her once more.

Arya opened a door and let Darcie through. Light flooded in front the window at the far end. A large shadow blocked a section of the window.

"You shouldn't be up with that leg of yours," Arya said. The person standing at the window turned around and looked at the two women, face shadowed.

"It will cramp worse if I stay in bed all day."

When the person stepped out of the shadows, Darcie's expression brightened. Murtagh limped up to her and embraced her tightly. Darcie buried her face into his tunic, tears of joy falling from her eyes and onto his tunic.

"I'm so sorry..."


	30. Murtagh's Plan

_**Well... I forgot I was going to France for spring break and that was like, a long while... so sorry about saying a week but here's the next update. Enjoy. P.S: 8 more chapters (just a head's up). I was considering a one-shot sequel but I couldn't finish it (awhile back... but that's because of when I finished this fan fiction I continued on and yeah). And also, apparently I can't space out like I did before so I'm using lines to separate every space I need that's more than double, so anything not bolded or whatever that's like this is part of the story (not like that changed but just in case!)  
**_

* * *

Months passed as Murtagh's injuries healed. Once he was claimed fit enough to do whatever he wishes, he automatically went to Nasuada with a proposition. After a few hours of debating with the council, his plan was approved.

* * *

"Wait, so you're saying that you're finally healthy, finally able to do everything you used to, and the first thing you're going to do is abandon me with two one year olds, leave the Varden who have finally started to trust you, leave everything you've ever known... all just to get word out to the cities in Alagaesia that probably already know that there is no one ruler anymore?" Darcie asked flatly, her hard expression holding Murtagh's attention. As soon as she finished, she instinctively reached down and turned Reagan around so he walked in the other direction before leaving the tent.

"Not everyone knows. Just because we do and everyone around Aberon knows, it doesn't mean everyone else does; they have a right to know what's happened to their 'king'," Murtagh pointed out. "And we've been in Surda for over a year now, it'd be nice to see Alagaesia again."

"There's no 'we', it's _you_," Darcie snapped, poking Murtagh in the chest to emphasize the word. "_You_ want to leave for who knows how long, _you_ want to be the one informing people of what's happened, and _you_ probably want to inform them of the dragon egg. There's no 'we' in this plan of yours, you just want to go off alone everywhere."

As soon as she finished speaking, a small hand grabbed her leather-clad leg and slid down. Looking at the ground, Darcie saw Aryana looking up at her with raised arms. Darcie reached down and picked up the one year old. She held her so that the baby girl sat looking towards Murtagh, her curious aquamarine eyes set on him.

"She's not going to persuade me," Murtagh said flatly.

"I'm not trying to persuade you, I'm just letting you know what I think," Darcie responded simply. "And this one of the two young faces you'll be leaving behind."

"I'm not going to be gone for _years_."

"I never said you would be," Darcie pointed out as she let Aryana back down and let her walk away. "Just tell me honestly if you just want to have a break so you're alone or not."

"This doesn't have to..." Murtagh stopped when he saw the look on Darcie's face. "Someone needs to look after them."

"I'm not the only candidate for that," Darcie cut in. "Is it that you don't want me around...?"

"That's not it," Murtagh cut in. "It's just easier if it was just Thorn and me."

"So I'll slow you down?"

Murtagh sighed and looked down for a moment, thinking. Moments later, he looked back up and said, "No, Kazryth keeps up well, but it'd be easier for everyone else, the other people and the Varden, if it was just one rider and one dragon."

"Who is still known to be under Galbatorix's allegiance," Darcie pointed out.

"The only people that truly knew about that were those in his armies; Thorn was kept secret, thus keeping me secret. They won't know a thing; they'll just know there is another dragon in existence other than Saphira."

"But it's ok that they don't know who in the gods' names I am. I was, after all, only a girl that was locked in a castle her entire life. Being shut out isn't new."

"Da?"

Murtagh looked down and saw Reagan pulling at his pant leg. Lifting the little boy up, Murtagh momentarily held Reagan at half an Arm's length and asked in a baby voice, "What do you think about me going?"

Reagan squealed happily in response. Murtagh couldn't resist smiling.

"Well at least someone is supportive," he said and brought Reagan closer. Murtagh then looked at a glaring Darcie.

"Why can't Eragon go?"

"He's busy enough as it is," Murtagh responded simply, looking down at Reagan, watching him reach around and grab at anything he could. "I won't be gone forever; I'll be back before you realize it."

Darcie looked at him in consideration for a few moments.

"Would you be living off the land? Killing your meals, cooking them..."

"It wouldn't be the first time," Murtagh pointed out, looking back up to Darcie.

"With Thorn?"

"I haven't traveled alone with Thorn yet, but it wouldn't be much different from the last few times we traveled," Murtagh pointed out.

"There was someone there when you traveled with Thorn..." Darcie started.

"I know," Murtagh cut in. He let Reagan back down and he walked away.

_Just let him go, Rider Murtagh will return_ Kazryth injected.

_That's not what I'm worried about._

"Then what are you worried about?" Murtagh asked, cutting into the conversation in Darcie's mind.

"It took you nearly a year to get over every injury you acquired in battle, and it's only been two days since you've been declared completely healthy. What if you got injured again? What will happen then?"

Murtagh took her hands in his and pulled her closer.

"I'm not leaving without supplies."

"But..."

"There are towns that can help if I don't have the proper materials."

"But..."

"If all else fails, Thorn will be there and he knows the way back," Murtagh finally said, knowing it was the answer Darcie was looking for specifically.

Darcie sighed, and then asked, "When do you plan on leaving? Not today hopefully."

"_Tomorrow_ by the latest."

Finally, Darcie had reason to smile. She still didn't like the idea whatsoever, but there was no point in debating it further; it's not going to change.

"Alright."


	31. Leaving

Oh my goodness

_**Oh my goodness! I am SO SORRY about not updating in almost 3 months. Things have been changing and I need to finish updating this story before I leave for a year in August... so I'll try and remember more.**_

_**Again, really sorry. I'll try and update within the next few days but if all else fails it'll be a few weeks, not months.**_

_**And this update is kind of short too so... I'll try and remember within the days, not weeks. So sorry. Enjoy anyways!**_

The next morning, Murtagh stirred before sunrise. He looked at the tent top above him and thought about whether he should get moving so early. Shrugging to himself, he sat up, stretched, and got out of bed. Sluggishly, he crossed the room in the tent and changed. He grabbed something from the top of the saddle bags and managed to squeeze it into his pocket. He then grabbed the saddle bags he had packed the night before and left the tent. Walking down the long series of paths, Murtagh made his way to the castle and into the kitchen. Being given a pouch of food that could last him for the day, he left and went towards the Dragonhold behind the castle.

_Thorn, get up_, Murtagh said to his dragon as he stepped into the building. He couldn't even see where Thorn was.

_It is not light..._ Thorn groaned.

_The earlier we leave, the better._

_I suppose..._

A rustling noise echoed around the stone walls and Thorn's head popped up. He made his way over and around Kazryth and Saphira, and walked through the now-ajar opening. Once entirely out, he stretched out his neck, tail, and legs.

_Can I hunt for breakfast first?_ Thorn asked as Murtagh exited the threshold.

_Go ahead, but don't take too long._

_Thankfully the neighbouring animals are not as intelligent as they are elsewhere. The Surdan heat must affect their intelligence..._

Thorn took off lazily and seemed to float away. Murtagh placed the bags that had been slung over his shoulder on the floor of the inside of the building, and headed back to the camp. Walking through the trodden paths, he turned into one of the tents and looked around momentarily. Going to his left, he pushed through a curtain and found barred beds called cribs spaced out in the room, and saw his two infants silently sleeping. He headed for the nearest crib and looked down into it; inside was Aryana. She lay on her back while her head fell away from him and towards the canvas that stood between the room and the outdoors.

Reaching into his pocket, Murtagh pulled out a thin baby blanket. He had kept it with him for as long as he could remember because it was the only thing he had left to remember the times his mother was around. Looking down at the sleeping baby, he laid it overtop of Aryana and saw her tiny hand grab a section of it. Murtagh smiled faintly, and headed to the other side of the room to the other crib. Reagan slept peacefully, his eyes looking towards his sister's crib, almost as if he was watching out for her. As soon as Murtagh stopped by the crib, Reagan's eyes flickered open. He made a little 'uh?' noise. He then flopped his head so he looked up at his father with raised his arms and an arched back. Murtagh chuckled lightly and put his right hand into the crib. Before he could put his hand on his son, Reagan grabbed his finger, the only thing his small hands could get around.

_Where are you?_ Thorn's curious voice asked.

_Saying goodbye. I'll be there in a few moments._

"Ah," Reagan's small, whimpering voice broke into the dark as he attempted to say 'Da'.

Murtagh smiled and put his hand on Reagan's side. A blue light came out of his hand, and Reagan was deep asleep once more, his grip on Murtagh's finger loosening slightly. Carefully and lightly, Murtagh got his finger out of Reagan's grip, and left the tent swiftly, stopping momentarily to take in Darcie's sleeping form, knowing he wouldn't see her face for months. He walked quickly down the paths as first light started to break the darkness. He found Thorn waiting by the city's gates.

_You left your supplies behind_ Thorn said. Before Murtagh could swear, the dragon carefully dropped the bags from his claw. Murtagh picked it up and got onto Thorn's back. As soon as he and the bag were secure, Thorn flew off and over the city's gates and flew towards the horizon.


	32. Gone

_**Sorry about the chapter being short. I thought about continuing from where it now ends, but the last sentence was just too perfect)**_

_**And there isn't much left to this one story anymore. I don't plan on letting it drag... for too long (that is if you think it's dragging as it is). There are 6 chapters left.**_

* * *

Darcie stirred the next morning to whimpers in the other room. Sighing, she slid out of bed and plodded into the next room. Looking to her left, Reagan was standing up in his crib, gripping the bars to hold himself up.

"Aw-we," he said when he saw Darcie – it's how he pronounced 'mommy'.

Darcie went up to his crib and took him out.

"Da?"

Darcie nearly forgot about the day before. She then wondered if Murtagh had already gone without word.

_Early to rise this morning, aren't you?_ Kazryth's words broke Darcie's thoughts.

_I couldn't sleep. What about you, the one that complains the sun is too bright in the early hours?_

_It is hot enough here without all that light!_

_So the light woke you up?_

_Exactly. You have shade where you are, however._

_Yet I have two more in this tent. They're my wake up call._

_So you have found use for them._

_Hey!_

Darcie heard noise from the other end of the room. She went up to Aryana's crib, and saw her holding something. Darcie put Reagan down, and he held onto the bottom of her nightgown.

Aryana was lifted out from the crib, and she still clutched the fabric. Now that Darcie had a closer look, she realized it was a baby blanket. Where did it come from? Without any thought, she walked away, Reagan following behind at his slow pace. Darcie stopped, and walked back up to Reagan and put Aryana down next to him. She then went to change and brush her hair. By the time she had finished, the twins had managed to climb up and onto her bed.

"You two..." Darcie sighed and managed to safely get both of them into one arm each. She then left the tent and headed down the lifeless roads. Upon finding Murtagh's tent, she pushed through the flap and looked in the room she stood in. Any objects that had sat on tables were gone. She headed towards the next room and poked her head inside. The bed was empty, and rather messy at that. The bags that had been in the middle of the room had gone. Darcie couldn't believe it; Murtagh was gone and he didn't even say goodbye.


	33. Attacked

* * *

_**I'm sorry I haven't updated in awhile again. I'm going on an exchange to France for 1 year, and I have 16 days until I leave now so things have been hectic. I'll try to update more because I don't want to keep it longer when I'm in France. The story is almost done anyways, so I'll try to update every day, if not than every few days. Either way there's only 5 chapters left so it should be done before I go.**_

_**Before anything can be said about this chapter 'being randomly put in here for no reason', this chapter does have relevance, despite what you may think :)**_

_**And after editing this grammatically as well as adding some details, I think it came out ok. Enjoy.**_

* * *

Later that same day, Darcie wandered down to the Dragonhold. When she entered the enlarged barn, she saw it was totally empty of any inhabitants. There was hint of a fight with the bedding on the cement floor ruffled around oddly and a few dents in the stone wall. She closed her eyes and tried to locate Kazryth, but his mind was sealed. She was confused; where had both Kazryth and Saphira had gone? Where could Kazryth have gone if Eragon was out with Saphira?

_Where are you?_

There was no response. This alone worried Darcie; she had been busy in meetings with the council and Nasuada all day along with Eragon. He had disappeared, saying something about 'visiting Saphira'. Darcie couldn't imagine Kazryth following the two, it would be something extremely rude on his part and he knew it.

_Kazryth?_

Darcie was starting to wonder if the dragon realized leaving her hanging was almost as rude as following Eragon and Saphira. As soon as she thought this, though, a green dot appeared over the horizon in the open expanse south of the city. It got bigger, and eventually Darcie saw Kazryth lowering his flight to the ground. He gracefully landed with a defined faint _plump_ vibrating through the sandy ground. Darcie neared her dragon and saw something draped over Kazryth's back. It was totally limp and had big blotches of red throughout it.

"Eragon?" Darcie realized, stunned. She got nearer and saw his tunic, head, and parts of his pants were bloodied.

He groaned in response.

"What happened?" she asked, looking from Eragon's deformed figure to Kazryth.

_Eragon and Saphira came across a group of survivors from the Empire's army. They were ambushed._

"Where's Saphira?" Darcie noticed, looking past Kazryth towards the horizon.

_Determined to rid of every last soldier; she's still by the river fighting off the rest._

"What happened to Eragon?"

_A few swords sliced him and a knife stabbed him in his back and decided to fight back. He got a lot of hits to his chest, legs, and one blow to the head. When he tried to run, he nearly got hit by a flurry of arrows. He's lucky to be alive, even with Saphira's strength with him._

Kazryth turned his head and carefully picked up Eragon by the back of his tunic and laid him on the ground.

_It would be wise to get healers while he's conscious, the boy has lost enough blood as it is._

Darcie looked from Kazryth to Eragon, unsure. She couldn't leave him, yet he was too heavy – and too bloody – to carry, and it would be wrong to drag him.

_I'll watch him; you should go get Arya if she is free._

Darcie then ran from the Dragonhold, tripping over a rock along the way. She ran around clutters of the Varden, who stopped to watch her hurry through the streets, confused and curious. Ignoring the looks and road blocks, she kept running until she found a large tent at the end of the camp.

"Arya!" she called, panting for breath. Within moments, the elf-woman opened the tent flaps and walked out, standing in front of Darcie.

"What has happened?"

Darcie cough and the inhaled, still trying to catch her breath while her throat burned, completely dry. "Eragon... attacked... barely conscious."

"Where is he?" Arya cut in.

"With Kazryth... Dragonhold behind castle... goodness, this camp is _large_!"

Without another word, Arya broke into a fast run, leaving Darcie behind to catch her breath. Darcie then walked back down the long series of paths and managed to make it back to the Dragonhold without problems. By the time she had gotten to the building, Eragon's limp body had been taken into the castle. She then entered the stone structure and saw Kazryth circling on the spot.



"What're you doing?" Darcie asked, trying not to laugh. He looked like a guard dog finding its spot before lying down. She felt his unease, but didn't question it.

_Thinking._

"Really? I didn't notice." My tone had a sarcastic edge, but it was true; I didn't notice he was thinking. He had blocked most of his mind from me.

_Is that sarcasm? And, I know it's funny coming from me, but it's probably not the best time for that._

"No, I was just implying I didn't notice – you know how you read my thoughts constantly..."

_Right._

"Well, I suppose I will see you tomorrow," Darcie said, figuring it'd be best if she gave him his space, physically, until he was in a better mood.

_I apologize, I have no intention to drive you away..._

"It's alright," Darcie responded with a smile. "Besides, those two women that are looking after the twins don't know the first thing about feeding them, I swear..." She turned on her heel and walked off, heading towards the camp.


	34. Breakfast with Eragon

_**I'm not doing well with keeping promises about updates... I'm trying though! And this time I didn't wait nearly 3 months so it's an improvement ;) And this time I had to do a lot of editing (and I still wouldn't be surprised if I missed something...), so that also incorperated into the wait...  
**_

_**Almost done now – the closing chapters are coming, only 4 chapters left. I might end up updating the last few in France... who knows? Well, whatever, enjoy! - LadyMalfoyx**_

* * *

Another few days passed, and Darcie found herself getting busier now that Murtagh was gone. She hadn't heard any word, and she wasn't even sure if that was good or not. By the end of one week, she was starting to wonder if she was being kept busier on purpose. Only a thought nonetheless, but she couldn't help but wonder.

On a free day, Darcie woke up early. Unable to fall back asleep, she tip-toed throughout the tent to change, and then leave. When she stepped out of the tent, it was still rather dark; the sun hadn't risen yet. She shut the flap to the tent and heard noise within; the twins were taking up. Sighing, she headed down the path and into the castle. She greeted the kitchen staff and asked for extra fruits. She waited a fair bit, but the wait was worth it because she was given a bountiful basket that was carefully put together. Thanking the cooks and servants, she left the kitchen and headed back the tent just in time to hear loud noise. She entered the tent, put the basket of food onto her bed and headed into the next room over. She saw that Aryana and Reagan were already out of their cribs and chasing each other around the room, screaming and laughing.

"You two are crazy," she said as she shook her head.

Reagan, who was being chased, ran up to Darcie and hugged her leg. Aryana ran up to him, poked him, and ran around to Darcie's other leg and hugged it as well. Reagan jumped back up and started to run around his mom.

Darcie found it miraculous the bottom of her dress hadn't ripped yet. She reached down and caught Reagan mid-run. Picking him up, she settled him in one arm. As soon as she did, Aryana let go of Darcie's leg and moved to stand in front of her and lifted her arms up, stretching as high as she could without falling. Darcie reached down and amazingly got Aryana up safely using one arm.

With one twin in each hand, Darcie managed to grab the basket off her bed with the hand that held Reagan up and then left the tent. She made her way to the castle and walked through a series of long corridors and stopped in front of a door. She looked at the door, wondering how she could even thing to get it open with both hands taken, let alone knock. Without another thought she lifted up a foot and hit the door with it twice.

"Who is it?"

At least he was awake.

"Darcie."

There was no response.

"I come bearing food..."

There was a few more moments of dead silence, and the door slowly opened.

"Thanks, I was starting to formulate a plan on how to open the door with my foot," she said as she entered. She put the twins down, and they started chasing each other again. She saw the smile on Eragon's hacked up face and said, "I couldn't leave them in the tent alone."

"It's alright; they're not _horrible_, right?"

Darcie laughed as she closed the door. "Not if they're busy."

She found a chair and pulled it up by Eragon, who said on the edge of his bed. She put the basket of food next to him, and he grabbed a handful of anything he could.

"Have you even gotten food since yesterday?" Darcie asked, eyeing him as he practically inhaled an apple, only leaving the core on the other side of him.

"No; apparently I was unconscious half of yesterday," Eragon responded as he took out an orange and started peeling it.

"You did get stabbed in the back quite literally. If you _weren't_ out, I would have been shocked," Darcie responded as she pulled out a peach. Reagan ran up to the bed and started to tip the basket. "Oh no..." Darcie said as she took the basket from his grip. Reagan pointed to the peach in her hand, indicating he wanted one. Darcie pulled a peach out from the basket and handed it to Reagan. "You want a peach?"

He nodded vigorously.

"Ech!" he attempted to say.

I smiled. "No mess."

Reagan smiled and walked away with the peach, looking triumphant.

"You're good with them," Eragon commented, looking at Darcie curiously.

She smiled. "Thanks. I don't really have much choice; I don't want to leave them with someone else the entire time, so I'm more stuck with them now than anything."

"Do you ever think it was a mistake?"

Darcie was taken aback by the blunt phrasing of Eragon's question, but responded, "Sometimes... but it's more the mistake of how early than just them than just them. Of course, I 

honestly wish I was married before them because you don't exactly _want_ to be known as a wench..."

She heard Eragon chuckle lightly in his attempts to not do so. She gave him a playful glare.

"So where is Murtagh? Or dare I ask...?"

"He and Thorn left... didn't you notice?"

"No," Eragon responded with a shrug. Darcie scoffed and shook her head.

"As soon as Murtagh was freed by the healers, he went to Nasuada and requested he leave to travel throughout Alagaesia and inform the people f-Galbatorix is dead. As soon as it was granted, he told me and then left the next morning without word," Darcie explained.

"So he's out of Surda, so far known as a member of what used to be the Empire's army, telling people their king is dead?" Eragon asked slowly.

"That's what I said to him!" Darcie exclaimed when she finished her peach. "He didn't care."

"He's been that way since I've known him," Eragon responded in a low voice.

"No surprise there," Darcie said with a smile as she grabbed the last apple, and Eragon took the last pear. They ate, and then Darcie asked, "Have you ever had the feeling where you know something bad is going to happen, but you don't know what?"

"Many times," Eragon sighed. "Why do you ask?"

"Because I just have a nagging feeling something bad is going to happen... and it'll be soon."


	35. Ambush

Apparently the French laptop was just giving me a hard time because I had no trouble opening this

_**Apparently the French laptop was just giving me a hard time because I had no trouble opening this. Last time it want me to install something, this time it opens perfectly...**_

_**Anyways, after this there are 2 more chapters then the story is done (so no, the cliffhanger at the end of this is not the last of the story. I'm not that mean).**_

_**And I'll try and get the last two up within the week. Because this is a shared computer and the adults like to use it when I get home from school (7pm thanks to the buses on every day except Wednsday; I'm not a fan of French school hours), I never know when I can get on anymore, but it's not too bad, I usually get on once every 2 or 3 days at most now. Wow, that's pathetic to what I was like before with internet… stupid laptop of mine, not connecting…**_

_**ANYWAYS, enjoy!**_

* * *

The next few short months passed as things went back to normal. After a long while, Murtagh and Darcie _finally_ had a wedding and became married legally in Aberon. The twins grew and it was finally decided when they turned 3 that changes should be made. As a result, Darcie and Murtagh went to Nasuada and Orrin first and clarified their plan to the two leaders. Once it was finalized and Eragon had been informed, an announcement went out to the Varden that they would slowly be moved out with Murtagh and Darcie, who were moving back to the capital of Alagaesia to take the role of king and queen upon news of the chaos that was spreading throughout the country. It was also agreed that the silver dragon egg would go with them, but the other egg that Saphira had given to the Varden months prior, which was a new shade of blue and green together, would stay until the last group with Eragon would leave.

--

It was barely light when half of the Varden headed out with Murtagh and Darcie. They were told to pack for weeks and leave behind anything that would slow them down. Among the Varden that were leaving were the men, women, and children of Carvahall, all of which knew how to pack for long voyages.

The trip was slow as they left the nation of Surda and into the barren lands surrounding the Hadarac Desert. Once the group left the borders of Surda, they headed north-east and set up camp by a forest that grew miles away from a lake.

"Do you really think its safe here with the forest right there?" Darcie asked Murtagh when they finished setting up camp.

"People said they're putting up watch just in case," Murtagh responded. "Don't worry about it too much, if there are any survivors left, they've already attacked Eragon, Saphira, me, Thorn, and Kazryth, all of whom were killed."

"Ok," Darcie said, a faint tone of cautiousness in her voice. Murtagh squeezed her hand in reassurance, and Darcie forced a smile. She saw Aryana and Reagan run by, and she said loudly, "Get back here!"

The two came back.

"Time for bed."

"No..." the two whined simultaneously. Darcie gave them a warning look, and the two trudged into the tent as if it was a death sentence. She let Murtagh's hand go and followed them in.

--

"INTRU..." a yell was cut off suddenly.

Darcie shot up and out of bed quickly. Within moments, she had changed into her attire for battle, and then managed to get chain mail overtop after a few minutes of struggle. The sound of Kazryth's loud, echoing roar made her attempt to move faster. Things fell from her hands more than she could keep them.

"Don't rush," a voice behind her said.

Darcie jumped suddenly; she momentarily forgot Murtagh was there. She spun around and saw Murtagh pulling out two sword sheaths from the end of the bed. He tossed one to her, and put the other around his waist with swift ease. It didn't seem to bother him that a battle had just begun outside, the sounds of war cries and the growing stench of death evident.

Suddenly there were two terrified screams from the other room.

"I'll be right back..."

Darcie headed towards the twins' room, still putting the sheath wrap around her waist. Inside the room, the twins were hiding under shaking blankets.

"What happening?" Aryana asked in a quiet voice as her eyes poked out from under her blanket.

"Yeah..." Reagan injected, doing the same as Aryana.

"Fight?"

"Yes, a big fight outside," Darcie responded, finally able to do up the leather belt that bound her sheath in place. "Now come on, get out of bed."

Reagan slid out of the small bed first, and then went up to Aryana's bed. He pulled her out, and the both stood there, looking at Darcie.

"Come over here and take a hand," Darcie said, holding out her hands. The two ran towards her and stole each arm, hugging it like they would to her legs. She had to shake them off and take their hands before they could repeat what they just did.

"Now you'll follow me carefully and we'll go to Kaelib's tent, ok?"

The two nodded jerkily, and they all ran towards the flap in the room and across the small distance between the two tents. Darcie pushed through the other flap and found Kaelib's wife, Caysee, with her son.

"Can you stay with these two as well?" Darcie asked. Caysee nodded, and the twins looked up at Darcie, wide-eyed. "I'll be right back, I promise." She then crouched down to their height and stood in front of them. "I love you," she said.

"Love you too," the two said simultaneously.

"Kisses?"

The two kissed both of Darcie's cheeks simultaneously and then ran to Caysee. Darcie then got up and left the tent to go back for her helmet. She heard two roars of surprise and pain come from both dragons that stayed just outside of the camp. Sticking her helmet on, she walked outside and was greeted by three surviving Empire soldiers. Within a mater of seconds, she beat them all down, the head of one rolling away, the helmet still on.

She kept walking again and then saw who led the ambush – the Shade that had been rumoured to be wandering in Alagaesia named Zeehad. The Shade's maroon eyes sliced through the air like daggers and caught Darcie now locked in battle. In that moment, Darcie finished the soldier and spun to face the Shade. He gave her no time between battle changes and let out a spell. Darcie ducked, just barely missing it. Darcie then sent out a spell of her own, but the Shade didn't have any problems with blocking it.

"Stupid girl, you should have never left your room," Zeehad snarled, now advancing on Darcie.

From behind, Murtagh finished another Empire soldier and spun to face this Shade, letting loose a dark spell in her direction. An inconceivable shield went up around Zeehad, and the spell deflected off of it and flew back to Murtagh. He jumped out of the way and let it hit a soldier that had tried to sneak up on him. There wasn't even a shriek of pain.

The Shade's blade and Darcie's struck another, and a loud _clang_ of the clashing metals broke through the air. The Shade was quick and swift, making it nearly impossible for Darcie to make a move that didn't involve blocking herself. She felt Kazryth's conscious take over and he looked through her eyes.

_Get out of there_ he told her.

_I can't!_ Her shield went up again and her sword shoved beneath it, blocking another hit and attempting a feeble one of her own that was deflected by the Shade with barely a move.

_I'll be right there._

The sound of thudding and the crunching of bones hit Darcie's ears as Kazryth neared, squishing ever enemy he could along the way. He then lifted up into flight and reached down and picked up Darcie with his mouth. The Shade took advantage of this, and swung his sword and sliced up Darcie's calf to her upper thigh. She screamed at the sudden, searing pain. Her vision started fading as she lost blood quickly, dripping down her leg and towards the ground, causing red rain. As her vision turned to black and Kazryth started to fall from the sky, she heard high-pitch screeching – metal upon metal - and the shrill cries of Thorn echoing across the land, fading into the distance of Darcie's disappearing thoughts.


	36. Among the Dead

Murtagh rolled the dead bodies over to check the dead

Murtagh rolled the dead bodies over to check the dead. Almost every dead body that littered the edges of the camp were soldiers, only three men from the Varden were among them and they had been taken away. He finished the section, and hollered, "Nothing here!" Everyone else doing the same job grumbled an incoherent response.

He looked out into the distance and saw a large green smudge. At first, he took it for a large shrub, but the green was too light, it was unnatural. Squinting, he realized it wasn't grassy, but scaled and glimmering under the remains of twilight and beginning of starlight; it was Kazryth. He crossed the plain, almost dainty with his leaps over each dead body, and headed towards Kazryth. He seemed to struggle with moving his head to look back at Murtagh, but there was no blood, not even a scratch, anywhere noticeable. He couldn't have been wounded.

"What happened?" he asked.

Kazryth moved his wing and curled it into his side, revealing Darcie below. There was a long, ugly gash that stretched from above her ankle and up to the middle of her thigh. The blood that soaked a line through her skirt proved it was longer. Her face was almost pure white from the loss of so much blood, and it still kept trickling out.

Murtagh ran around Kazryth and crouched down in front of Darcie. She seemed to know he was there, but momentarily couldn't see him, like a blind man locating a noise. Her eyes then found his, and she edged her arm further out in attempts to reach out. The pain and struggle on her face as she did so was obvious. He took her hand and with his marked hand, he held it overtop of the end of the long gash, opening his mouth to start speaking in the Ancient Language. Darcie finally spoke as soon as he did.

"Don't... it's no use."

"You'll die if I don't."

"I'd rather die than slow down everyone else... I'm only alive now because of Kazryth's strength, and I can't live off of him my entire life or let him be known as 'the dragon of a cripple'."

_You would never shame me_ Kazryth added, knowing what Darcie was implying.

"You aren't the only 'cripple'. You can live normally..."

"No," Darcie cut in, her voice being quieter. Her voice seemed to fade as she kept speaking. "I'm not normal, and I never will be. That was made clear to me when I was barely old enough to comprehend anything. My father... the low-life bastard, just using some woman to have me... all I ever had was a nanny that's probably already dead because of me. The only times I've felt like a real person was..." she stopped momentarily to take in a shaky breath. "When I was out of the capital with you, Kazryth, and Thorn... now I'm going back to a place... a place I've loathed my entire life. I don't want to live there again, I don't want to be held responsible for… for everything bad that's happened. I'm already held responsible for destroying a nation because of... because of... who I am. Just let me go... and things will be better."

Murtagh slowly shook his head slowly in response. Before he could say anything, Darcie cut in again, her voice barely a whisper, "I love you... tell the twins I love them... and I'm sorry."

As soon as she spoke those words, her grip on Murtagh's hand loosened, and Kazryth's head fell with a sickening thud onto the ground, causing the earth around him to tremble, his eyelids shut.

"Darcie..." he shook her limp arm. "Come on..." Tears pricked his eyes. "Don't leave me. Please."

It was too late, and he knew it. Murtagh's emotions became too heavy to bear and tears then fell from his eyes, flooding his cheeks and hitting the ground where Darcie's blood had dried. Everyone he ever loved died, and it was because of him.

_**One chapter left after this everyone. Just a reminder. This was short, the next is a bit longer.**_

_**I had another idea for another fan fiction and, since I've been improving in my writing it might be... better written, so to speak. That is, if I get through it enough to start posting. You might see it later on this year or early next year.**_


	37. Desiree's Tale

_**I put together a bit of two phrases of the known Ancient Languages to make what you'll see when you read. It's not perfect, but there was nothing else I could find to mean what I intend.**_

_**And this is the last chapter; yes, the infamous last chapter (otherwise I wouldn't have killed Darcie in the previous chapter and kept going…). I do have a half-done one shot sequel but… eh, not really worth it because it isn't all that great so don't look for it. I do have another idea that might make its way online but it won't happen soon because I'm still in France and am trying to get into the culture and language and such more… I return home in the end of July next summer so it won't be too long. And if it does go up, I'll probably have worked on it throughout the year so I won't be putting off updates as much! At least Ill try... It's another Murtagh/OC but its not exactly the same as this… more of a creative twist to it (well, a lot more really) and hopefully more in his character than this one was.**_

_**I finished this chapter, this entire story technically, on September 7**__**th**__**, 2007 at 7:25pm . Yes, way back then. Sad, eh? Over a year later its done being posted... It took me 4 months to put this entire story together, surprisingly enough, but I got stuck so many times, I made a note of that in one chapter… if I didn't get stuck there I might have a runner up for fastest written fan fiction by me; ou cant beat a full 26 chapter fan fiction written in exactly 2 weeks easily after all.**_

_**I tried my best with this chapter. Tell me what you think.**_

_**I hope you enjoyed following along with this series. I sure enjoyed writing it, improving along the way too... hopefully...**_

* * *

After the battle, everyone moved quickly and quietly. Messengers were sent to Aberon to inform the Varden of the attack and the loss of a dragon rider. Within a matter of weeks, the people arrived in Urû'baen. Some of them had to pitch tents on the edge of the city until they could get homes made, but most people in the city had either deserted or inhabitants had been killed, so any extra houses were taken. There were quite a few fights during that time.

Throughout the entire trip, Aryana and Reagan kept asking questions, but Murtagh barely responded. Within a matter of days, the intelligent toddlers figured out what really happened to their mom and didn't speak a word since.

When everyone arrived in Urû'baen, Murtagh, Thorn, and a few choice people continued to the castle. Despite how much Murtagh didn't want to re-enter its walls, an old fear and an instinctive urge to get as far away as possible slowed his steps to a stop before the dark, looming doors. Taking in a deep breath, he stepped inside, tense.

Thorn left Murtagh then, to go and find his old reside. It was in the same condition and automatically . Murtagh found some places inside were completely torn and ripped apart, but was happy enough about some old guards and servants had stayed, hiding in certain rooms until learning it was Murtagh who had returned and not anyone else, such as Galbatorix. He gave one of the maids, who loves children, the job of looking after the twins, and he left the main floor. He climbed up the series of previous elaborate staircases, having no difficulty getting over any missing bits and holes, and found himself standing at the door that led to the forbidden hallway, which was a place Galbatorix made him stay away from because it was where Darcie had been locked in for her entire life.

Sighing, Murtagh opened the door and stepped into the hall. It appeared as if no one had been inside the area for years, there was dust sitting on top of the tables that were located along the wall. He looked down and saw that the floor was sparkling clean. Rather odd...

He kept walking and opened another door. Inside was a bedchamber with a white canopy pulled halfway around the bed. There were two big, fluffy pillows and two smaller, hand-stitched pillows on top of it. The white, pink-stitched bed sheet lay perfectly made on top of the large bed. A few feet beyond the bed there was a step up, and then a windowsill that was big enough for someone to sit on. Looking left, there was a vanity with a chair behind it, and a wardrobe. Next to that was a form of a wall where people change behind, and the rest was decorated neatly.

"It's nice, isn't it?"

Murtagh turned around and a woman stood at the door. She clearly worked in the castle as a servant of sorts, but Murtagh couldn't help but recognize her. He had seen many servants wandering the halls during his stays in this castle though.

"Who're you?" he had to ask.

"Desiree. I used to be Darcie's nanny."

Murtagh was shocked, but he hid the feeling with a raise of his eyebrows. "You survived?"

"Barely. When you two ran off, the King tried to kill me, but he underestimated me. Did you see that scar on his face in battle?"

Murtagh didn't respond. He never got a good look at the king's face. The battle was nothing more than a distant memory, full of nothing but searing pain and darkness.

"I made that. Naturally, I ran, but he didn't bother getting someone to chase me. I lived with a family just outside of here, actually, masking myself with a veil that showed only my eyes. Once he left, I knew he wouldn't be back, so I returned. Every remaining guard and servant welcomed me like a hero; I'm the only servant of his that escaped a planned death and left a mark. Because of his arrogance, he was killed, correct?"

Murtagh nodded.

"Who killed him?"

"Kazryth."

"That beastie... I knew some good would come out of him, despite him having a similar fate of your dragon, until you left that is. Speaking of which..." Desiree dug into a pocket in her skirt and pulled out a piece of parchment. "This never explained much."

Murtagh recalled the day he and Darcie left. She told him that she left a note...

"Can I have that?"

Desiree nodded and entered the room. She went up to him and held out the parchment and he took it. She curtsied and backed away a few feet.

"What made you leave despite vows?"

Murtagh raised an eyebrow – how did she know?

"We know everything that happens within these walls," Desiree responded, answering his unspoken thought. "But we never understood how you two could leave with strict vows."

"Galbatorix ordered us to 'get out of his sight', as it says here," Murtagh said, holding up the piece of parchment. "So we did. We took two horses and ran."

"Poco and Shiloh?"

"Did they ever return?"

"Shiloh did. We didn't know what happened to Poco though, but we found his body next to the river a fair distance from a log. His leg was askew and there was a crack in the hoof, so we can only assume he broke his leg jumping the log."

"Oh..." Another faithful horse of his was killed.

"Where did you go?"

"We went to Helgrind after agreeing to flee to Surda. Naturally, Thorn figured the only way they would allow us, the ones that were battle against them, is to give them an offer. Apparently as battle begun back then, he looked into the mind of the cousin of the rider Eragon, and there was a girl captured by the Ra'zac. We rescued her from Helgrind and went to Aberon. It took a few months, but we made it, returned the girl and swore fealty to their leader and the leader of the Varden to prove we wouldn't turn on them.

"D... we stayed in the city, serving the Varden's leader for the years we were there," Murtagh explained.

"Word came from all over claiming Darcie became a... a wench."

"That was an accident," Murtagh responded with a note of defense in his voice.

"Are the two toddlers downstairs hers and yours?" Desiree asked.

Murtagh nodded.

"How old are they?"

"Three by now."

"Three years ago... that makes sense. So what happened afterwards?"

"Kazryth met Saphira, the female dragon, and a few years back a dragon egg came along and was given to the Varden."

"The egg is here?"

"Yes. And before I continue, do you swear by your head not to reveal anything spoken by me?"

"Vel eïnradhin iet ai Älfakyn," Desiree responded. _Upon my word as a friend._

Murtagh was surprised by her knowledge of the Ancient Language, but did not question it yet.

"There is one dragon egg here, but there is another egg from Kazryth and Saphira, a blue and green one."

"One?"

"Yes, one. The egg is a mix of both their colours. That egg is coming with Eragon and the rest of the Varden."

"Amazing... all of that. And might I ask where Darcie is?"

Tears momentarily pricked Murtagh's eyes, but he fought the stinging sensation and responded in a contrasting solid tone, "She has passed."

Desiree appeared surprised. Her expression went grave.

"Might I ask when?"

"On the travel here. There was an ambush... she chose to die."

"She refused to be saved?"

Murtagh nodded, not trusting himself to speak. The memory still haunted him, the image returning to his mind as soon as the woman said those words.

Desiree was also silent for a few moments as she took it in. Murtagh swore he saw a glimmer in her eyes, but it was gone in under a second.

"Those poor twins... do they understand?"

"They know she isn't returning, but they don't know why as far as I know," Murtagh responded after a few moments. "I haven't let them... see her body." He stopped as his voice just started to crack.

"That's a good choice," Desiree responded. "And... I understand what you might be feeling. I'm sorry about everything."

The woman then left the bedchambers, leaving Murtagh alone in the room, fighting for control of every emotion flowing through him, the loss and longing buried deep within him revealing itself. These feelings of his would never leave him; he would be forever haunted by the memories of how the only woman that saw past his scars, his past, and the outcome of his future, changes his life in so many ways he never dreamed possible.


End file.
